8 Passenger Crossover SUV: 2011 Kia Sorento EX AWD
The 2011 Kia Sorento Crossover SUV is a nice package with good size, versatility and plenty of power and amenities. It compares well with the competition (RAV4, 4Runner, CR-V, etc), and brings Kia’s long warranty to the table.
Okay, I realize time flies when you get older, but what ever happened to 2010? As far as the Kia Sorento is concerned, it never happened. Kia bounced from 2009 to 2011 and never offered a 2010 version of its popular SUV.
The wait was worth it.
Detroit 2011: Mini Paceman Concept gets all the girls
Mini’s model line is expanding at an exponential rate, and according to BMW’s smallest division, the Paceman Concept will form the basis of its eighth production vehicle. Even if that’s the case, nothing resembling the Paceman is going to beat either the Mini Coupe or Roadster to market, which are expected to hit dealers in late 2011 and 2012, respectively.
What we have in the Paceman is basically a Countryman that’s been relieved of its two rear doors and granted a gradually sloping roofline. Yes, that will indeed limit the machine’s versatility, but it also adds a sporty vibe to the somewhat high-riding crossover.
Categories: Coupe, Crossover, Crossovers/CUVs, Detroit Auto Show, Mini Tags: Detroit Auto Show
Car Review: 2011 Lincoln MKX
With Mercury dead, hundreds of former Lincoln-Mercury dealerships will be forced to rely on Ford’s 93-year-old luxury brand to bring home the bacon alone. These dealers are nervous about their future, and rightfully so.
Every Lincoln on sale today is a gussied up version of a Ford. True, most mainstream automakers with luxury divisions, like Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura and Volkswagen/Audi, use a similar strategy of platform and technology sharing to save costs, but U.S. domestic automakers have never been particularly good at it. A Volkswagen is usually praised for being Audi-like, but a Lincoln is usually decried for being too similar to a Ford. Sharing can so easily become rebadging, and Lincoln dealers are wondering how they’ll live off a lineup of simply “more expensive” Fords.
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First Drive: 2011 Ford Explorer
Everything Alan Mulally has learned, experienced, and changed at Ford Motor Company is encompassed in the 2011 Ford Explorer. A bestseller at 400,000-plus per year in the ’90s, the Explorer met its automotive Waterloo during the Firestone tread-separation debacle. Sales of the body-on-frame Explorer dwindled to 52,190 in 2009, as Ford was launching its new Taurus. Ford redesigned the sedan far beyond its original intentions, though retaining the Volvo-derived D4 platform. Now, thanks to Mulally’s push for quicker updates of Ford models, it’s the Explorer’s turn.
The new, unibody Explorer borrows the Taurus’ D4 architecture, making it a Taurus-level update of the Freestyle/Taurus X. In the Explorer, the architecture offers better packaging, fuel mileage, handling, and maneuverability for SUV-crazy Americans who long ago tired of trucky dynamics.
Body Language: The 2011 Ford Explorer sits atop Taurus’ D4 architecture for better handling, packaging, and mileage.
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Categories: Auto Review, Car Review, Crossover, Ford, SUV Tags: Ford
First Drive: 2011 Mini Countryman
Whether we like it or not, even niche automakers are expanding their lineups to appeal to a broader range of shoppers. This may seem like automotive blasphemy, but think back a few years ago when Porsche introduced the Cayenne. We all threw temper tantrums and hugged our 911s, but now we begrudgingly accept that, as far as SUVs go, the Porshce Cayenne is pretty damn good and has been the brand’s #1 selling model since day one. So in comparison, adding the 2011 Countryman to the Mini lineup isn’t nearly as big of a culture shock.
In an effort to show Mini owners and enthusiasts that the Countryman is indeed worthy of a Cooper badge, the automaker brought a few of the new crossovers out on its 2010 Mini Takes The States cross-country road rally. Mini is wholly confident that people will be impressed with what the Countryman has to offer, not only with functionality, but with driving dynamics, as well. We saddled up to find out for ourselves.
Categories: Auto Review, Car Review, Crossover, Mini Tags: Mini
2011 BMW X3 fills out, adds a dash of sport
Behold the 2011 BMW X3. It’s longer, wider and taller than its predecessors, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it looks remarkably similar to the last X3.
Naturally, BMW’s twin-kidney grille is affixed up front, but like the new 5 and 7 Series, it’s more upright and slightly larger than before. The lower air dam is slightly chiseled while staying true to BMW’s recent organic shapes, and the wider headlamps come equipped with “Corona Rings” and optional Xenon bulbs.
First Drive: 2011 Kia Sportage keeps moving in the proper direction
The crossover is the high-fructose corn syrup of the automotive world. Think about it: Rather than using real sugar, Pepsi opts for a cheaper, highly refined and processed sweetener. Which, according to lots of studies, is pretty bad for us. Why would they do that? Higher profits, pure and simple. Likewise, CUVs offer all of the space of a comparably long station wagon or hatchback, get inferior mileage, don’t handle as well, take longer to stop and in most cases offer none of the utility of a true off-roader. But guess what? They pull in fistfuls of greenbacks for auto companies.
Like high-fructose corn syrup then, car experts (“Hi, Mom!”) can scream out their lungs until they’re blue about the benefits of a more sensible, safer, smarter product (again, wagons). Yet consumers simply don’t listen. The fastest growing automotive segment is – of course – the small CUV. Like the Snickers bar, the Twinkie and a twenty-piece Chicken McNuggets meal with BBQ sauce (all of which is mostly corn syrup), they are here to stay, forever. Buyers just seem to like the looks and the perceived safety that a high-riding vehicle affords them. Plus, for those with infant children, not having to stoop down to strap Junior into his car seat is the most luxurious feature on earth. With all that in mind, some CUVs are better than others – and not only in terms of looks, but also handling, packaging, content and value. Is the new 2011 Kia Sportage one of them?
Categories: Auto Review, Car Review, Crossover, Kia Tags: Kia
Review: 2010 GMC Terrain – a tale of two engines
GMC‘s “Professional Grade” tagline works best when it’s being used to upsell truck shoppers into Sierras instead of Chevy Silverados, but even wider mass-market success comes from snaring folks who couldn’t care less about payload. And while the Yukon has its place at the table for some families, the thirsty brontosaur’s broad appeal vanished with the disappearance of super-cheap gasoline. Hence, traditionally truck-focused GMC has crossed over, so to speak. The three-row Acadia was the beginning, and while the trucks are still there for those who want or need them, if you’re shopping for a family car, the nice man in the tie would like to show you something different: the 2010 GMC Terrain.
If you’re thinking, “It’s just a Chevy Equinox wearing a GMC costume,” you’re basically right. It shares its architecture, powertrains and even its suspension tuning with the Chevrolet. Unlike the bad old days, however, when this would have been a naked badge swap and little else, the Terrain’s external appearance differs completely from the Chevy. In fact, the casual observer (i.e. the average car shopper) would never guess they share so much under the skin. And the shared stuff’s nothing to complain about, anyway.
Categories: Auto Review, Car Review, Crossover, GMC, SUV Tags:
2010 Beijing Motor Show Preview: BMW adding all-wheel drive to Gran Turismo line
BMW has just announced that its 5-Series Gran Turismo will soon be available with the company’s xDrive all-wheel drive system. The Bavarian automaker plans to show off the new running gear at the Beijing Motor Show at the end of this month. Eventually, you’ll be able to order the xDrive option with any engine combination your heart so desires.
Starting in June, European buyers will have a shot at the 550i xDrive Gran Turismo and the 530d xDrive Gran Turismo. Shortly thereafter, in September, the 535i xDrive Gran Turismo and the 535d xDrive Gran Turismo will follow suit. BMW has also announced that its diesel-powered 740d sedan will receive available xDrive, but that particular model is confined to markets outside of North America, and it’s likely to stay that way.
Categories: Beijing Motor Show, BMW, Crossover, Hatchback Tags:
New York 2010: 2011 Kia Sorento SX offers more standard kit, added visual flare
Kia officially debuted the new SX trim level for the 2011 Sorento at this year’s Atlanta Auto Show, but they also brought the dolled-up crossover to New York for a larger-scale unveiling. The Sorento is already off to a good start in the U.S. – it has already become Kia’s top-selling vehicle for the first few months of 2010 – and the SX, which goes on sale this Summer, offers up a bit more standard equipment and style to the lineup. The revised front fascia is a bit buffer than lesser trims and the ride height has been lowered by about one inch, giving it a more aggressive stance.
Under the hood is Kia’s 3.5-liter V6, which produces 276 horsepower. Upgrades over the lesser LX and EX models include things like sharp 18-inch wheels and Dual Flow Damper shock absorbers. Inside, leather seats are standard, as is a back-up camera, Infinity audio system and voice-activated navigation. Look for Kia’s all-new UVO infotainment system to debut in the Sorento later this year. Check out our galleries below to see the SX in high-res glory.
Categories: Auto Show, Crossover, Kia, New York Auto Show Tags:
