Automotive Addicts |
- 2011 Kia Sportage SX Turbo Review & Test Drive
- Audi Announces Pricing For the TT-RS
- Porsche Working On New High-End Sports Car
- 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 HEMI Review & Test Drive
| 2011 Kia Sportage SX Turbo Review & Test Drive Posted: 12 Jul 2011 05:51 AM PDT
'ECONOMICAL HIGH PERFORMANCE AND VERSATILITY' The all-new Sportage SX takes the model up a notch with eye-catching exterior styling, a more powerful four-cylinder turbo engine, and unique interior options. As part of Kia's design-led transformation, the Sportage has become a strong player within the Kia line-up, offering surprising power and class-leading fuel economy. The Sportage SX joins the 2011 Optima turbo as Kia's second vehicle to feature the powerful Theta II 2.0 liter Twin-Scroll Turbo GDI engine and adds unique exterior and interior features and luxury appointments to provide consumers a high-performance and high-value CUV. In combination with a highly efficient six-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels, (all-wheel drive optional), the new Sportage SX features 260hp at 6,000rpm and 269lb.ft. of torque from 1,850-3,000rpm while maintaining class-leading fuel economy of 27mpg on the highway, better than any other turbo-equipped compact CUV on the market today. In addition to powertrain upgrades, the Sportage SX employs a sport-tuned fully independent suspension with firmer shocks and strut rates for improved handling and dynamic performance over non-SX models. All Sportage models offer an ideal mix of performance, fuel efficiency and versatility for the compact CUV buyer and with the addition of a more powerful turbo GDI engine, unique interior appointments and improved performance, the Sportage SX makes an already appealing CUV even more fun to drive. One look at the optional Techno Orange custom paint, custom 18in. wheels and custom interior and we have 'hot wheels' like one of my 'hot wheels' car. From any angle you'll see a look that brings you back to the fun when growing up and playing with you many hot wheels toy cars and trucks-big alloy wheels, bold paint scheme, and bold future design, right now it can be yours in real life. Up front is the signature Kia grille done up in black with a chrome surround. Bright cat's-eye lamp clusters cut into the front to the sides while down below is another 'bow-tie' styled air intake for the turbo's intercooler with a tasty chrome trim piece wrap and foglamps at the side. The uplifted hood seamlessly enters the steeply raked windshield A-pillars to an arching roof that runs down to the rear hatchback. A low-profile roof rack keeps in harmony with the flowing lines. The rear protrudes out down to the rear bumper fitted with two wide oval exhaust tips. A spoiler mounted on top helps create downforce. The rear door is scalloped at the bottom and the lamp clusters wrap around the rear to the sides. A black contrasting strip runs the entire length at the bottom of the Sportage from the front to the rear, even under the wheel-wells to close the gap with the top of the tires giving it a more performance-edge look. From the side you'll see a 'hockey stick' chrome trim piece around the greenhouse, big, chromed pull-out door handles and body-color sideview mirrors in a low, sleek package. Nothing on the CUV market comes close to the look of the new Sportage SX. The custom orange and black look is carried inside the cabin including orange stitching on the leather-wrapped/tilt/telescoping steering wheel, center console and bucket seats coupled with orange accents on the door panels and air vents. It's done well with real attention to detail. The dashboard is divided into two compartments-driver's cockpit and front-passenger space with a flat center stack featuring black piano veneer trim on the climate control space and a center console featuring dual cupholders, storage bins and a two-tiered storage bin with padded armrest. The leather-wrapped gearshift is ringed with a chrome ring inside and on the outer side for a luxury touch. The steering wheel is small, perfect to better control your inputs and features redundant buttons for the cruise control and audio system. The 'supervision gauge cluster is easy to see and understand with a trip-computer readout in the middle. You'll also notice aluminum door sills at the bottom of each front door. All buttons, switches and levers are easy to reach and fully illuminated for safe nighttime driving. The rear bench seat is split 60/40 to expand the cargo area and features a pull-down armrest with dual cupholders an exclusive glove box that has a cooling function to keep refreshments cool on hot days. Standard features inside include dual-zone climate control, with ionized air filtration, power windows/door locks/sideview mirrors, keyless entry with alarm, trip computer, privacy glass, cruise-control, AM-FM-CD-MP3 audio system with USB and auxiliary inputs, power-adjustable driver's seat with lumbar support, Bluetooth phone and streaming audio, front/rear intermittent wipers/washers, grab handles above all passenger doors, dual map lights, dual lighted vanity mirrors, storage slots at each door bottom, brushed aluminum door handles, thick cut-pile carpeting and front/rear floor mats. Factory installed options in my test Sportage SX included the techno orange/black color package, navigation with a premium audio system with external amp, and subwoofer, SIRIUS traffic and reaview camera, heated front seats, push button start/stop, auto-dimming reaview mirror with homelink, cargo cover, panoramic dual sunroof, back-up warning sensors, and heated review mirrors. Standard safety features include dual front advanced airbags, front seat-mounted airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, 3-point safety belts for all seats, front active headrests, ABS, traction control, electronic stability control, downhill brake/hill start assist control, rollover protection system, a tire pressure monitoring system, front and rear crumple zones and steel beams in each door. The all-new 2011 Kia Sportage SX has it all to keep today's generation happy with a CUV that stands out in a crowd of other CUVs, has plenty of passing and trail-busting power, on road precision handling, versatile cargo hauling capability, the latest in consumer automotive high-technology and safety systems to keep you and your passenger safe in the event of an impact. The base price for the new SX starts at just $25, 795.00 and my loaded model stickered at $29,795.00, what more could you ask for?               COPYRIGHT:2011:HARVEY SCHWARTZ
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| Audi Announces Pricing For the TT-RS Posted: 11 Jul 2011 06:41 AM PDT
 The Audi TT-RS. Image: Audi AG As a journalist, it's critical for me to be impartial. I can't show favoritism for one brand over another, and when a new car is introduced I tend to take a jaded view of it. After all, when you drive 300-plus horsepower sports cars and luxury cars on a regular basis, it's little hard to get excited about every new car that comes along. In my case, the exception to that rule is the Audi TT-RS.  Image: Audi AG I'll come clean up front: I have a very bad jones for this car. If my income were at pre-economic collapse levels, I'd have already put money down at my local Audi dealer, and I'd be counting down the days to delivery like a felon awaiting release from a maximum security prison. I could try and rationalize my lust for the TT-RS by saying it's styling is reminiscent of the Audi Avus show car, or that it will come with a 360 horsepower, turbo five cylinder engine mated to a quattro drivetrain. I could point out that the drivetrain is good enough for 0 – 60 times of 4.1 seconds, on its way to an electronically governed top speed of 155 miles per hour. I could also tell you that slushbox drivers need not apply: Audi is bringing in only six-speed manual TT-RS models. There are faster cars out there, and there are better looking cars out there, but none make my hormones sit up and beg quite like the TT-RS.  Image: Audi AG Base price will be a semi-reasonable $56,850, excluding destination charge. Audi hasn't told us what option packages will be available, but I'd expect most cars to sticker in the $60k range. Since it's a limited availability model, expect dealers to tack some additional profit on the price, but hopefully not as much as the overly-hyped BMW 1 Series M. Look for deliveries of the TT-RS to begin this fall. Source: Audi  |
| Porsche Working On New High-End Sports Car Posted: 11 Jul 2011 06:36 AM PDT
 Porsche's Carrera GT. Image: Brian Snelson If you look at Porsche's current product catalog, there's a pretty big gap between the sold-out $245,000 GT2 RS (the fastest road-going Porsche ever built) and the $845,000 918 Spyder, whose performance numbers have yet to be established or verified. Porche's head of global sales, Bernhard Maier, smells opportunity in this segment, and he recently leaked the information that Porsche is looking to develop a high-performance model that slots in between the GT2 RS and the 918 Spyder. Could it be an updated Carrera GT, perhaps? Despite the global economy being in shambles, Porsche sold 97,000 vehicles worldwide in 2010 and is on pace to top 100,000 this year. That's modest but realistic growth, as orders dropped in June and second half sales gains aren't projected to be as impressive as those in the first half. Much of the first half growth came from orders for the new Cayenne, and Porsche is well aware that an updated and expanded product line is the key to growth. By 2018, the automaker wants to hit sales of 200,000 units per year. A new high-end sports car won't drive sales on its own, but it will draw attention to the Porsche brand and it will bring customers into showrooms. It's up to their sales team, aided by one new model per year, to produce the rest of the growth. Look for the new 911 to hit dealers this fall, followed by the introduction of the Cajun compact SUV in 2012. Source: Auto Guide  |
| 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 HEMI Review & Test Drive Posted: 11 Jul 2011 02:43 AM PDT
The good ol' American muscle car heritage lives on in modern-day conceptions of the old classics. One vehicle that carries the heritage proudly is the all-new 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 HEMI Inaugural Edition in Viper blue which is limited to only 1,492 units this year. The new 2011 Dodge Challenger is one vehicle that does an excellent job in reintroducing an All-American classic. If you are old enough, then you can remember the old Challengers from the 70's and how they put a staple in the history of American performance vehicles. If you were to take a quick glance at the new Challenger from a reasonable distance, you could easily mistake it for a 70s classic, until the massive size of the new Challenger became noticeable. Dodge has probably done the best job in the styling and reintroduction of an American classic muscle car when compared other retro-styled icons. My 2011 Challenger 392 embarks on the veiled 392-cu-in HEMI back in the day. The all-new Challenger 392 actually has 391.15 cubic-inches to be exact but who is going to complain when the displacement of the 6.4-liter HEMI V8 produces 470 horsepower and 470-ft-lbs. of torque. The 6.1-liter Challenger SRT8 only produces 425 horsepower while the 392 Inaugural Edition pumps out an additional 45 horsepower and 90 more ft-lbs. of torque giving it a slight edge in straight-line performance. The new Challenger SRT8 392 exemplifies what enthusiasts wanted out of the 6.1-liter Challenger SRT8. The superfluous embellishments do not stop with just extra power. The new Challenger 392 has revised steering and improved suspension giving it the ability to score 0.93 lateral Gs on the skidpad. On paper the performance stats seem decent, but being behind the wheel you do not feel as confident in hitting those numbers unless it involves lighting up the rear tires in large plumes of smoke. The new Challenger is undeniably large for even an iconic pony car. Sure the Challenger 392 drives like it is a few hundred pounds lighter than the outgoing 2010 model year, but I would not put it up against a new Mustang GT in the twisties even with the extra Detroit muscle under the hood. The new Challenger SRT8 392 Inaugural Edition begs for a conversation at the local gas station, or anywhere for that matter, giving others an opportunity to say something about its classic styling. The Challenger is already a good looking pony car but tricked out with the Challenger 392's racing stripes, forged 20-inch SRT wheels and catchy blue-white leather seats, it's sure to turn some heads. The new Challenger SRT8 392 has an upgraded interior where most of the flash was put into the white and blue leather seats with blue "392" stitching. On the dashboard you will find the customary Chrysler/Dodge Uconnect system with integrated GPS Navigation, Bluetooth phone connectivity, Bluetooth audio streaming, and a built-in 30GB hard drive all accessed through a bright 7-inch LCD touch-screen. The SRT instrument cluster features performance options to calculate times for 0-60 mph, ¼ mile, 1/8 mile, and braking distance. The pistol grip 6-speed shifter in my test vehicle allows you to short-shift through gears. The angle of the shifter does take a few minutes to get used to but you will find that it is very competent even for more experienced drivers. The new Challenger 392 goes, strong. Rowing through the gears at wide-open throttle will leave you with a smile on your face. The smoke in the review mirror and invigorating rumble of the big 6.4-liter 392-cu-in HEMI V8 is icing on the cake. What's even better, if you are the eco-friendly type, is that the large HEMI is somewhat efficient partly due to cylinder deactivation at cruising speeds. The Challenger 392 gets an EPA estimated 14mpg in the city and 23mpg on the highway. For about $1,300 more over the 425 horsepower Challenger SRT8, the 392 Inaugural Edition is easily attainable. In my book the 392 is well worth it especially considering the extra power, better handling, and head-turning looks inside and out. My test vehicles as-tested price came out to $47,565, which includes free massive clouds of burnout smoke until you have to replace the 255/45 20-inch Goodyear rear tires.              Copyright: 2011 AutomotiveAddicts.com SPECIFICATIONS
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