A Hybrid With All the Essentials
The all-new 2017 Kia Niro could be described as a hybrid utility vehicle, which Kia prefers, or it could be classified as a subcompact crossover, which is the hottest new segment, or we could just call it a Subaru look-alike with Prius economy. Now that sounds pretty cool. Seriously. The Niro is one of 11 Eco Dynamics models that Kia has planned by 2020. The 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid and Kia Optima Plug-in Hybrid preceded the Niro on...
A Smarter, Sleeker Hybrid From Toyota
Back in the dark days of automotive history, fuel was cheap and plentiful and Detroit dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Then the Prius came along, offering the first practical hybrid solution, and became the bestselling car in California. Almost a decade later, fuel is cheap and plentiful again, and a changed world awaits the latest iteration of the world’s most successful hybrid. Since the debut of the original, the road has become busy...
Wheels: Luxury Car Class Better Take Notice
Rapid advances in technology are undermining traditional notions of automotive luxury — and value. We have visited this theme before in this space. Traditional vendors of automotive luxury and performance have dismissed that assertion — my assertion -— as poppycock. It matters not that a Timex keeps time as well as a substantially more expensive watch, they argue. The people who buy Timex and those who buy Cartier are not the same...
Nuts and Bolts: 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
Bottom line: Anyone looking for a well-made, reliable, well-equipped, fuel-efficient midsize family sedan should seriously consider the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited. Ride, acceleration and handling: It gets good marks in all three, with one caveat: The battery pack and permanent magnet motor add noticeable poundage. You feel that weight in curves. Head-turning quotient: I thought I would miss Hyundai’s departure from fluidic...
