BMW must be the most efficient operation in the auto sector. And no, I'm not talking about its EfficientDynamics systems that include such leading-edge tech as regenerative braking and idle start/stop on all of its new models, not to mention a blow-by heater that uses residual engine heat to warm up the cabin after the engine temporarily shuts down, or for that matter its extensive lineup of thrifty turbo-diesels, fuel-conscious gas-electric hybrids and new plug-in cars, but rather the very platform architectures the more common of these models ride on.
Ahead of the next-generation 35up architecture, which believe it or not will underpin every rear-drive car and crossover SAV from the 3 to the 7 including their xDrive counterparts, the current F20 to F36 architecture carries everything from the brand's petite 2 Series Coupe/Cabriolet and X1 crossover to the ballsy new X4 I just finished testing and am now reviewing here, not to mention the ubiquitous 3 Series in its various body Read Full Story
News & Reviews
2014 Kia Cadenza Premium Road Test Review
With all the talk surrounding Kia's latest K900 luxury sedan it might be easy to forget about the slightly smaller front-wheel driven Cadenza, but that would surely be a mistake. Not only will the Cadenza easily outpace the pricier K900 on the sales charts but it's an especially refined luxury car all on its own, and likewise does a similarly excellent job of imitating, or should I more appropriately say emulating its premium-badged luxury competition.
Where the softly sprung K900 most decidedly targets the pampering perfection offered up by the Lexus LS 460 instead of the autobahn-born German class originators, the Cadenza hones its HID headlights in on top sellers like the same Japanese luxury brand's ES 350 and Lincoln's MKZ. It's not the first up and comer to target the comfortable front-drive Lexus, the MKZ also falling into this camp, and won't likely be the last, even Toyota's own Avalon making a credible case for staying with a mainstream nameplate, but as with each and Read Full Story
Where the softly sprung K900 most decidedly targets the pampering perfection offered up by the Lexus LS 460 instead of the autobahn-born German class originators, the Cadenza hones its HID headlights in on top sellers like the same Japanese luxury brand's ES 350 and Lincoln's MKZ. It's not the first up and comer to target the comfortable front-drive Lexus, the MKZ also falling into this camp, and won't likely be the last, even Toyota's own Avalon making a credible case for staying with a mainstream nameplate, but as with each and Read Full Story
Nissan to show Kicks Concept CUV at upcoming Sao Paulo show
Nissan got its new Kicks Concept all wrong. The orange portions of the car don't reflect life in Rio de Janeiro as the concept CUV's press release infers, but rather should be attributed to Brazil's largest more business-oriented city of São Paulo, or at least this would have been true in 2008 when the 23 million-plus metropolis was made more vibrant (or messier depending on your point of view) by intervention artist Eduardo Srur who hung life vests on famous statues in his controversial project dubbed "Survival".
The rest of the city can be extremely drab, however, at least when compared to vibrant Rio de Janeiro, so we best leave it to the homens e mulheres (or otherwise brasileiros e brasileiras) at the new Nissan Design America Rio studio to decide how they want to depict cities within their own country, or at least how they want to describe how their new compact crossover reflects "the design inspiration from Brazil," or so Nissan says.
"This concept is Read Full Story
The rest of the city can be extremely drab, however, at least when compared to vibrant Rio de Janeiro, so we best leave it to the homens e mulheres (or otherwise brasileiros e brasileiras) at the new Nissan Design America Rio studio to decide how they want to depict cities within their own country, or at least how they want to describe how their new compact crossover reflects "the design inspiration from Brazil," or so Nissan says.
"This concept is Read Full Story
2014 Ram 1500 Outdoorsman Road Test Review
If you haven't seen or heard the ads for Ram's 1500 pickup truck you must be a media hermit. No matter where I turn I'm reminded that the new Ram 1500 delivers "the best fuel economy of any full-size pickup, ever!" This claim is for the new EcoDiesel model mind you, a vehicle we'll cover in another review shortly. The Ram 1500 that's being reviewed here is a nicely featured 1500 Outdoorsman 4x4 model with the surprisingly potent and also thrifty 3.6-litre Pentastar V6.
Right off the top the Ram 1500's base engine is a charmer, with a nice easy-revving feel and better refinement than any of its rivals' entry-level V6s. What's more, at 305 horsepower Ram's V6 puts out almost as much force as one competitor's base V8 and all comparative V6s, while its 269 lb-ft of torque is not quite as ballsy as the competition but it should be ample for light-duty work and play. The real dealmaker is the transmission that comes mated to this engine, an ultra-smooth, super-efficient TorqueFlite Read Full Story
Right off the top the Ram 1500's base engine is a charmer, with a nice easy-revving feel and better refinement than any of its rivals' entry-level V6s. What's more, at 305 horsepower Ram's V6 puts out almost as much force as one competitor's base V8 and all comparative V6s, while its 269 lb-ft of torque is not quite as ballsy as the competition but it should be ample for light-duty work and play. The real dealmaker is the transmission that comes mated to this engine, an ultra-smooth, super-efficient TorqueFlite Read Full Story
2014 Buick Enclave Premium AWD Road Test Review
The Buick Enclave is the crossover SUV Lexus should be building.
Before I get a ton of hate mail along with "Are you crazy Hofmann?" comments, let me explain. While the Enclave has classy premium styling, a nicely designed interior, excellent infotainment, all of the usual luxury trimmings such as leather, woodgrain trim and bright shiny metallic accents, ample power and fairly good handling combined with a very supple ride, it's the crossover SUV's big ultra-accommodating seven- to eight-passenger layout and capacious cargo hold that Lexus should be building. Word has it that such a vehicle is on the way for the most prominent Japanese luxury brand, but at least for now the full-size Buick doesn't have to contend with what it sees as its most ardent competitor.
But is Buick really in the same league as Lexus? I think most will agree that Lexus has done a better job of delivering premium models in many more segments than General Motors' second-rung luxury brand, let Read Full Story
Before I get a ton of hate mail along with "Are you crazy Hofmann?" comments, let me explain. While the Enclave has classy premium styling, a nicely designed interior, excellent infotainment, all of the usual luxury trimmings such as leather, woodgrain trim and bright shiny metallic accents, ample power and fairly good handling combined with a very supple ride, it's the crossover SUV's big ultra-accommodating seven- to eight-passenger layout and capacious cargo hold that Lexus should be building. Word has it that such a vehicle is on the way for the most prominent Japanese luxury brand, but at least for now the full-size Buick doesn't have to contend with what it sees as its most ardent competitor.
But is Buick really in the same league as Lexus? I think most will agree that Lexus has done a better job of delivering premium models in many more segments than General Motors' second-rung luxury brand, let Read Full Story
Volvo unveils new V60 Cross Country online ahead of LA
The Cross Country name is legendary within Volvo circles, but not only because of the V70 Cross Country crossover wagon that came along in 1997, which was one of the first within the Swedish brand to get the XC nameplate in model year 2003 along with the then new XC90 SUV. Many years before (decades actually) the Cross Country nameplate adorned a big Försvarsmakten (Swedish military) Laplander L3314-based 4x4 similar to Mercedes' legendary Unimog, the Paris-Dakar rally-winning C303/304/306 that came along in the late '60s and went on to win the revered motorsport event in 1983, also known as the "Terrängbil 11" (Terrain Vehicle 11).
Volvo's latest Cross Country is said to offer "all-road, all-weather capability and rugged design" along with "V60 sporty driving feel with added 'go-anywhere' capability," but they probably didn't have the C303 in mind when making this claim. Of course, Volvo wants to sell a lot of V60 Cross Country wagons, not simply have the few ardent Read Full Story
Volvo's latest Cross Country is said to offer "all-road, all-weather capability and rugged design" along with "V60 sporty driving feel with added 'go-anywhere' capability," but they probably didn't have the C303 in mind when making this claim. Of course, Volvo wants to sell a lot of V60 Cross Country wagons, not simply have the few ardent Read Full Story
2014 Nissan Rogue SL AWD Road Test Review
Nissan has long made comfortable, reliable, durable, fuel-efficient, feature-filled small cars that, to my eyes at least, have mostly been unattractive. Other than the 510, a personal favourite since I was a kid, a few of the older Skyline coupes that were never originally sold here, a bevy of mid-'90s Micra-based retro JDM models highlighted by the Figaro, and a few relative newcomers such as the funky Juke and its unorthodox Cube cousin, there haven't been any compact models hailing from Yokohama that have caused me to want to grab my checkbook and head down to my local Nissan dealer. Some, like the '70s-era F10 were downright repulsive, while late '80s Sentras perfected the three-box design with the emphasis on box. It didn't get much more curvaceous when Nissan entered the compact crossover segment either, its Xtrail about as sleek and sporty as a delivery van, and while the first generation Rogue that followed improved on aerodynamics it could never be considered a looker like its Read Full Story
2015 Honda Civic Coupe Si Road Test Review
Honda restyled the iconic Civic Coupe Si last year, giving it more distinctive character overall and a richer more upscale appearance, while visually separating it from its four-door counterpart. Fortunately the revised car carried over all of the impressive interior updates made the year prior as well as updates to the modernized electronics added for the 2012 model year, but most important of all the 2014 model brought revisions to the Si's steering and suspension designed to appease the Si's many enthusiast fans put off after the ninth-generation 2012 overhaul.
The problem? This is a performance car first and foremost and the redesigned 2012 Si lacked the sharp reflexes of previous models. Honda made some improvements for 2013 but steering feel still suffered and the car endured too much body roll during hard cornering to satisfy hardcore users, all of which were addressed with the thoroughly updated 2014 Civic Coupe Si, and fortunately for everyone affected the entire car Read Full Story
The problem? This is a performance car first and foremost and the redesigned 2012 Si lacked the sharp reflexes of previous models. Honda made some improvements for 2013 but steering feel still suffered and the car endured too much body roll during hard cornering to satisfy hardcore users, all of which were addressed with the thoroughly updated 2014 Civic Coupe Si, and fortunately for everyone affected the entire car Read Full Story