Automotive

2017 Kia Niro Hybrid Touring Review

The all-new 2017 Kia Niro Hybrid stacks up against some pretty stiff competition in the hybrid crossover segment. The small crossover competes against the number one selling Toyota Prius, popular Ford C-Max Hybrid wagon, and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

However, it’s got a lot of appeal for crossover shoppers with its stylish exterior design, fuel-sipping drivetrain, and crossover utility.

This week we drove the 2017 Kia Niro Hybrid Touring, the top trim level.

What’s New

The 2017 Niro is an all-new model in the Kia lineup. The well-equipped Touring offers up a host of modern comfort features for consumers.

Features & Options

The Touring trim ($29,650) comes standard with 18-inch wheels, front and rear parking sensors, black front grille trim, a sunroof, door scuff plates, driver’s seat memory settings, ventilated and heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. Other creature comforts include leather upholstery, a larger 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, HD and satellite radio, an eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, and LED interior lights.

Options on our Touring tester included the Advanced Tech Package ($1,900) with active safety systems like lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and forward collision warning. It also came with a 115 volt inverter and wireless phone charger.

Total MSRP including destination: $32,840.

Interior Highlights

The first thing we noticed upon getting this Niro Touring tester was the ease of entry. The Niro sits up a bit higher and getting in and out is easier than many small crossovers. My 6’ 8” passenger this week commented on the abundant headroom, a plus for taller drivers. As is typical for this price point, there’s still some hard surfaces that cover the doors, dash, and center console areas.

There are soft-touch surfaces on the upper parts of the dash and armrests, however.

The tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and power driver’s seat have two-way lumbar and height adjustments that made it easy to find the perfect driving position. We put a lot of miles on our Niro but never felt tired or fatigued after longer trips.

In the back, there’s ample head and legroom, but there was no room behind my tall passenger when he moved the seat back to accommodate his 6’ 8” frame. Still, the rear seats split 60/40 and fold perfectly flat for a nice load floor. We had to load nine long boxes this week, and the small crossover had enough room for the extra cargo. There’s 19.4 cubic feet with all seats in place and 54.5 cubes when folded flat.

The rear hatch makes it convenient to load groceries and the kid’s sports equipment.

Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs

The 2017 Kia Niro is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder hybrid-electric powertrain, producing 139 horsepower and 195 lb-ft. of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission in lieu of the more conventional, continuously variable transmission (CVT) like we see on most small crossovers.

Unfortunately, all-wheel drive is not available.

EPA-estimates are 46/40 city/highway and 43 combined mpg.

Driving Dynamics

The 2017 Kia Niro delivers a satisfying driving experience in the city and on the open road. We experienced a fair amount of both this week as we traveled the city streets of Denver, and on the open road between Denver and Colorado Springs. The Niro is an ideal size vehicle for navigating busy streets as we made multiple U-turns, and had to cut across lanes of traffic to catch our exit.

On the open highway, there was a bit of road noise as we traveled 75 mph (yes that’s the speed limit) on the way to Colorado Springs. We especially enjoyed the Smart Cruise Control that not only keeps you at a constant speed, but will slow you down if you approach another car. It then gets the vehicle back up to your set speed when the traffic flow gets back to normal. It does all this without you ever touching the brake or gas pedal.

The Niro stayed planted in the tight mountain curves, thanks to a lower center of gravity because the batteries are mounted beneath the rear passenger seat. We thought the Niro handled more like a car than a crossover. With the six-speed automatic transmission, shifts come quick and smooth, providing a more pleasant driving experience when compared to a CVT automatic.

Conclusion

Overall, the new 2017 Kia Niro is a good city commuter, and should be a vehicle families check out. It gets excellent fuel mileage, has ample head and legroom for taller drivers, and it has the utility of a hatchback. It’s a pleasant ride at high cruising speeds or in stop-and-go city traffic.

Denis Flierl has invested over 25 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. Follow his work on Twitter: @CarReviewGuy

2017 Kia Niro Gallery

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2017 Kia Niro Official Site

Photo: Kia Motors America

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Letter From The UK: Winds Of Change

Have you ever seen a plastic bag caught in swirling gusts of wind? It flies this way and that, never knowing where it will go and where it will come to rest when the wind drops.

That’s Europe, that is; right now.

Winds of change are blowing across the bleak political landscape that could affect the car industry and life in general for Great Britain.

Goodbye General Motors

It won’t have escaped your attention that General Motors is considering selling its loss-making European operation to the French PSA Group, which builds Citroen and Peugeot vehicles. This could have repercussions for the Vauxhall brand in the UK (badged as Opel on continental Europe). This is of sufficient concern for the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, to meet up with the Peugeot boss, Carlos Tavares, to discuss the potential issues, of which could mean job losses.

GM has two motor plants here, at Ellesmere Port and Luton, plus sundry ancillaries. They build, among others, the popular if unexciting Corsa and Astra models which regularly feature in the UK automotive top ten. No doubt Mr. Tavares will make the usual positive noises but, as in any industry, can PSA ultimately be trusted?

It has always been very clear that when a sale or takeover of this magnitude happens there will always be an element of what is euphemistically described as “rationalization.” You can bet your bottom dollar when that word is used, then someone, somewhere is going down. In this case the ax will certainly fall on the necks of British workers. The PSA Group is very unlikely to expose its own workers to the inevitable.

Your average French car worker can get very testy, I hear, when their job is threatened.

Vauxhall Ellesmere Port facility. Photo: Opel Pressroom Europe.

Brexit. Again.

Since the British voted to leave the EU last year, there has been a further rise of Europe’s populist movements that are on the cusp of sweeping far-right, nationalist, and euro-skeptic parties into power across the continent in a series of upcoming elections. Political groups of this type, like our very own United Kingdom Independence Party, were once seen as buffoons; a joke. Well, Europe’s smug elite are not laughing now. Once consigned to the fringes of the political scene, these parties now hold considerable sway, arguably enhanced by President Trump’s notorious victory.

UKIP’s former leader Nigel Farage – a friend of the American President – has handed over the leadership reins to a man who makes Cletus Spuckler seem like a dangerous intellectual; yet they are within a gnat’s whisker of winning another seat in the UK parliament.

In the Netherlands, a certain Geert Wilders with his Tarzan-like hair seems very likely to carry his far-right party to victory in the soon to be held Dutch elections. Similarly, Marine Le Pen of the French Front National is within an outside chance of becoming President soon. It is my contention the Euro-federalists have brought it upon themselves. Never has the running of the European Union seemed so remote. The British people see unelected, often self-important people calling the shots and they don’t like it.

Voters tend, in general, to see things in black and white. That’s why the UK voted “out.” It may not prove to be a rational decision but the plain fact is that as things stand, the voters just didn’t like the smell emanating from Brussels. This same sense of being talked down to by the political elite could explain the rise of your President.

The turmoil is sure to continue.

Winds Of Change

This turmoil is highly likely to affect the car industry and not just in Europe. In the United States, your President’s proto-protectionist policies are already having an unsettling effect on foreign car makers. American manufacturers are bringing jobs back to the States and the United Auto Workers, so we hear, are planning an advertisement to get U.S. car customers to “Buy American.”

That does not bode well for the much-vaunted global car industry.

Meanwhile, back here in blighted Britain – that running sore on the nose of European integration – we await the verdict on the GM fire-sale. With the British Government planning to signal our official leaving of the European Union in March, there are still stormy seas ahead for the UK car industry.

Already car prices in Britain have risen by over five percent since that fatal vote, thanks to a weak currency and other Brexit woes. Even if the Vauxhall factories continue production in some form or another, will their exports be subject to tariffs on the European border just a few scant miles across the English channel? Will our tit-for-tat tariffs have a similar effect on Euro car makers?

If this turmoil does adversely affect the European car industry and the PSA Group hits rough waters, who are they going to put in the lifeboats first? It won’t be the neighbors, it will be their own family, that’s for damn sure. Call me paranoid but I think this wind of change is an ill one and, like President Trump’s hair in a gale, the outcome won’t be pretty.

Geoff Maxted is a motoring writer, photographer, and author of our Letter From The UK series. Follow his work on Twitter: @DriveWrite

Cover Photo: Foto-RaBe

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2017 VW e-Golf Improves Strongly Over 2016 Model

Volkswagen of America, Inc., recently announced fuel economy figures for the new 2017 e-Golf. The car features an improved EPA-estimated range, better fuel economy, and more power when compared to the outgoing model.

The 2017 VW e-Golf has a new lithium-ion battery with an increased energy capacity of 35.8 kWh from 24.2 kWh. This allows the range to increase from an EPA-estimated total of 83 miles to 125 miles on a single charge.

Faster, More Efficient Charging

SE and SEL Premium trim levels carry a 7.2 kW unit that enables the battery to be charged in less than six hours at a 240V charging station. When equipped with DC Fast Charging (optional on SE, standard on SEL Premium), the battery can be charged to 80 percent within an hour at a DC fast charging station.

Fuel Ratings

According to VW, “battery chemistry” was enhanced to improve fuel efficiency. The 2017 e-Golf has an EPA-estimated city fuel economy of 126 MPGe, 111 MPGe on the highway, and 119 MPGe combined. This marks an improvement over the previous e-Golf which has EPA-estimates of 126, 105, and 116, respectively.

Currently, the 2017 VW e-Golf estimates are the best in the compact class, as defined by the EPA. Using 13 cents per kilowatt-hour, the EPA has estimated an annual fuel cost of $550 for the vehicle.

Power & Performance

The battery and fuel economy improvements are joined by advancements to the electric motor. For example, the 2016 VW e-Golf featured an 85 kWh electric motor with 115 horsepower. By comparison, the 2017 VW e-Golf’s new 100 kWh electric motor creates 134 horsepower. The maximum torque of the electric motor has been boosted to 214 lb-ft., an improvement of 15 lb-ft. over the 2016 model.

Finally, the 2017 VW e-Golf sprints from zero to 60 faster than the outgoing model. Just in case you feel like going pedal to the metal in your new e-Golf, you can hit 60 in 9.6 seconds. The vehicle goes on sale this spring – pricing information is forthcoming.

Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.

Photos & Source: Volkswagen of America, Inc.

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2017 Chevy Camaro ZL1 Hits Record Breaking Top Speed

It’s official! The new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is the fastest Camaro ever, with a top speed of 198 mph. Recently, the Camaro ZL1 was put through the paces on the High Speed Oval, a 7.6-mile loop at Germany’s Automotive Testing Papenburg GmBH proving ground.

The test included a run in both directions where the ZL1 ran 202.3 mph one way and 193.3 the other.

“This test caps an impressive list of performance stats for the Camaro ZL1, which was designed to excel at everything,” said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro Chief Engineer.

Standard Settings

Papenburg’s banking allowed Chevy’s test drivers to push the ZL1 through the turns without backing off the accelerator. Papenburg features 1.3-mile turns with 49.7-degree banking on the top lane, giving way to 2.5-mile straights. Other than safety and data recording equipment, no modifications were made to this Chevy Camaro ZL1. The test was even run on the ZL1’s factory installed Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires.

“After testing the car in standard settings, which produced the 198-mph average, we set the front and rear camber adjustments to 0 degrees and the tire pressures to the maximum allowable sidewall pressure, and saw the ZL1 average over 200 mph,” Oppenheiser said.

The 2017 Chevy Camaro ZL1 on the High Speed Oval at Germany’s Automotive Testing Papenburg GmBH proving ground. Photo: Chevrolet.

Power & Performance

The 2017 Chevy Camaro ZL1 hits 60 in 3.5 seconds, runs a quarter mile in 11.4 seconds (127 mph), and comes to a halt in 107 feet from 60 mpg. The 650 horsepower, supercharged LT4 engine in the ZL1 is paired with a standard six-speed manual transmission with Active Rev Match or an available, all-new 10-speed automatic transmission.

The latter transmission was used for the high-speed test on Papenburg’s oval.

The 2017 Chevy Camaro ZL1 has a number of aerodynamic advancements as the car’s entire front-to-rear aero balance was fine-tuned for high-speed stability. Examples include a stanchion rear spoiler with a stronger lift/drag ratio versus a blade spoiler, and a patent-pending auxiliary transmission oil cooler to reduce front-end lift.

“The ZL1 was developed with high-speed performance in mind, incorporating a balanced aerodynamic package that reduces lift without significantly affecting drag,” Oppenheiser said.

Photo: Chevrolet.

Pricing & Availability

Available for the Camaro ZL1 are things like Magnetic Ride Control, an Electronic limited-slip differential (coupe only), and 20-inch forged aluminum wheels. Other features include Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3 summer-only tires measuring 285/30ZR20 in front and 305/30ZR20 in the rear, and Brembo brakes with six-piston Monobloc front calipers and two-piece rotors.

The 2017 Chevy Camaro ZL1 is available now and starts at $63,435 for a coupe with the manual transmission; $65,830 for a coupe with the 10-speed automatic.

“It’s the most capable and fastest Camaro ever,” Oppenheiser said.

Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.

Photos & Source: Chevrolet

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Ferrari 812 Superfast: The Benchmark Has Moved

Well this was a complete surprise that greeted me when I woke up the other day. The new Ferrari 812 Superfast. The front-engine V12 coupe, Ferrari’s pane e burro since Truman was president just got a big update, and put everyone else on notice. I’ll just get this out of the way right off the top: Porsche, Aston Martin all the rest of you meager little lumber carts: this, this is the car.

Your woeful attempts at performance fade in comparison to what Maranello does as a side job. So sit down, listen up, and take notes.

Power Packed

The fact the Ferrari 812 Superfast dropped out of the sky was surprising for a number of reasons. First and foremost: Why replace the F12 Berlinetta? Have you seen those things? Have you driven one? I swear to Gozer those F12s are monsters. Even a knuckle-dragging lack-wit like Jeremy Clarkson, a man not known for his subtlety or reserve behind a wheel said the F12 had “too much power.”

The F12 Berlinetta has nearly 70 horsepower less than the 812 Superfast.

Let that settle in. Consider how the outgoing F12 puts out 730 horsepower. That’s more than an Australian V8 Supercar. That’s within shouting distance of a NASCAR stocker. That is 30 more horsepower than an Indycar.

Ferrari’s new 812 Superfast puts out almost 800 horsepower. In Euro-parlance, it works out to 800 cv, hence the name: 812 Superfast. What, you didn’t think Ferrari put an 8-liter V12 in this thing, did you? C’mon, these people might have the self-discipline of Caligula, but they’re not completely round the bend. Engines that big belong in ocean going tugs and railroads and such.

Historic Identity, Modern Performance

The other part of that name, Superfast, is also worth noting. It’s an old Ferrari moniker from the 1964 500 Superfast, and although it sounds kind of goofy, it is also true. The gearing for the 64 model was set high, and the engine was squeezed enough that it was, indeed, Superfast.

The specs for the modern version are knee-weakening. For starters, let’s cover some basic performance numbers with Ferrari style mathematical reinforcement. How about 0-100 kph (62 mph) in 2.9 seconds? Top speed? Over 211 mph.

The plant for the new 812 Superfast is a 6.5-liter V12 that, as mentioned, puts out nearly 800 horsepower at 8,500 rpm, and pulls with 530 lb-ft. of torque at 7,000 rpm. The car is smaller than it seems, clocking in at just over 15 feet long, 6-and-a-half feet wide, and four feet tall.

It tips the scales at a little over 3,300 pounds dry weight, which is not Miata-like but is still very impressive, given the mass of the engine. The weight distribution is an attractive 46-53% front/rear. So that number, combined with the wompin’ stompin’ horsepower and torque numbers, means the tail is going to want to come around like a cat on linoleum.

The Ferrari 812 Superfast utilizes a 350 bar direct injection system for the very first time on a high-performance engine. This is paired with variable geometry intake tracts conceptually derived from those of naturally-aspirated F1 engines. Furthermore, the 812 Superfast’s dual-clutch transmission has specific gear ratios and shorter shifting times for better throttle response. Photo: Ferrari.

Driving Dynamics

Exacerbating this perceived tail happiness is the inclusion of Ferrari’s Virtual Short Wheelbase 2.0 system. This is a four-wheel-steering scheme lifted directly from F12tdf, which everyone said was pretty bonkers to experience in real life.

The new outfit bolted to the Superfast further enhances the litheness of the handling and sharpens vehicle response.

The front wheels, you know, the ones that are supposed to turn, sport Ferrari’s new Electric Power Steering arrangement, the first Ferrari to do so. Since both the front and rear turning systems are fully electronic, they bring out the potential of the car’s performance and, are completely integrated with all the electronic vehicle dynamic controls – including Ferrari’s patented Side Slip Control. Ferrari says it makes the Superfast “easier to handle and even more thrilling to exploit.”

“Thrilling to exploit.” That makes me feel dirty.

Ferrari 812 Superfast Interior. Photo: Ferrari.

Styling & Design

I was going to delve into the styling, but why bother? Just look at the thing. It looks like a red running show Mercury himself would covet. Do Italians have style, or do they have style? The exterior design is functional, not surprisingly, with with active flaps on the front and an aerodynamic by-pass to increase downforce on the rear flank.

Inside, the cabin features a “floating effect,” meaning everything from the dash to the air vents is polished and sculpted. Ferrari says the interior has been given a “sportier, more radical look” to create an element of “thoroughbred racing eagerness and lean elegance.”

No arguments there.

The Ferrari 812 Superfast is set to debut at the upcoming Geneva International Motor Show. Now, why don’t the rest of you children get back to Gaydon and Stuttgart and Munich and Yokohama and play with your toys. The adults have some more records to set and world championships to win. È dilettanti!

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.

Photos & Source: Ferrari

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