2011 Kia Optima Test Drive

If the Optima were a farmer, its standard-equipment crop would be bountiful. A dual exhaust with chrome tips; turn signals integrated into the mirror housings a sound system with Sirius satellite radio and USB, auxiliary, and Bluetooth connectivity; a tilting and telescoping steering wheel; and power locks and windows are all standard on the base LX model. The rear seat splits 60/40 and folds, and all automatic models come with cruise control.2011 Kia Optima Test Drive

Three trim levels are primarily differentiated on the outside by their wheel sizes. LX models wear 16s, EXs get 17s, and the big-dog SX rolls on 18s. To the LX�s gear, the EX adds fog lights, heated outside mirrors, body-color door handles, a little more chrome pizzazz, a rearview camera, push-button ignition, dual-zone climate control, and Kia�s new Uvo vehicle-interface system developed with Microsoft.

Spring for the SX, and you�ll net HID headlights, LED taillights, and an LCD information screen tucked into the instrument panel. The SX also is set apart with a unique appearance, thanks to a separate grille design, exclusive rocker moldings, a lip spoiler, and red brake calipers. Inside is French-stitched black leather, with metal pedals and paddle shifters to make the driver feel faster.

While the look is thoroughly overhauled, don�t expect pricing to change much. When the new Optima goes on sale in early fall of 2010, the sticker should stay close to today�s range of $18,000 to $23,000.

Regardless, in the hyper-competitive mid-size-sedan market, Kia has nothing to lose and everything to gain by turning its milquetoast Optima into something other than what it is today.

Right now Kia is busy at this year�s New York auto show, for debut of the redesigned Sportage, the new Forte hatchback, and the all-new Optima sedan detailed here.While preliminary sketches suggested an Optima with a hot-rod chop to the roof, the production version has less-severe proportions and windows out of which people can actually see. Longer (by 1.7 inches), lower (by an inch), and wider (by 0.9 inch) than the outgoing car, the Optima forms a much more dramatic shape than the model it replaces, yet its shape is not as commanding as that of its platform-mate, Hyundai�s suddenly smokin� Sonata.

Optima design isn�t quite as sultry as the Sonata�s, the powertrains will be precisely as stimulating, because they�ll be shared. A direct-injection, 2.4-liter inline-four is the standard engine, available in the base LX trim with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. A direct-injection, turbocharged four is the hot mill, with a whopping 274 horses from just 2.0 liters. Sadly, that engine will only be available with the automatic. And like the Sonata, the Optima will yield a hybrid option early in 2011. The suspension, too, is shared with the Sonata, with MacPherson struts, coil springs, and an anti-roll bar up front and a multilink setup with coils in back.

2014 Mercedes Benz B Class Electric Drive

In New York, the B-Class celebrated its world premiere with an electric drive, from 2014 it will also be available. Called 2014 Mercedes-Benz B Class Electric Drive.

Mercedes-Benz has in New York, the B-Class Electric Drive presented with a purely electric drive. The electric drive is to be the only drive variant in which the Mercedes B-Class in the U.S. will be available.

It is driven by an electric car around 136 hp (100 kW) electric motor that has a peak torque of 310 Nm, which is equal to the start available. So shall the acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h may be possible in less than 10 seconds, top speed is at 160 km / h electronically limited.

The range is expected to be at around 200 kilometers, according to Mercedes, the B-Class Electric Drive needs to be plugged. Doing so, the charging time of the lithium-ion battery for around 100 kilometers is less than 2 hours.

So ought short stops and purchases enough to get back on a further distance. Inside, you can see the electric version of the B-Class, especially on modified speedometer, instead of where to find a tachometer display to the energy flow.

The driver can check the charge status of the battery but also on smartphones, so choose an appropriate route before driving.

In North America, the New Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive will be on the market in early 2014, a little later, the electrically powered B-Class will then come to Europe.

2009 Mazda6 Test Drive

When the Mazda6 first hit the scene back in 2003, it was nimble and playful, and the power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering was exemplary. In fact, it was favorably compared to the BMW 3 Series�an impressive feat for any vehicle, let alone a mid-sizer in this price range.







But it was too small and, some say, underpowered to truly compete in the tough mid-size sedan segment against the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. That�s a big reason why Mazda says sales in the U.S. have been somewhat underwhelming�well below the 100,000-vehicle per year sales mark they were hoping for.



The all-new 2009 model was designed to change that. It�s bigger, it comes in three trim levels, and it�s still got our favorite quality: The Mazda6 is a hoot to drive, unlike its less sporty foes in the marketplace. �Barry Winfield



The Specs

Unique to the North American market, the redesigned mid-size sedan now comes in at 72.4 in. wide by 193.7 in. long (6.9 in. longer than its predecessor), with a robust 109.8-in wheelbase (4.5 in. longer). These increases might seem small, but they translate into quite a bit more cabin space. According to Hiroshi Kajiyama, Mazda�s chief program engineer for the 6, these new dimensions give the car more leg, shoulder and hip room (plus more luggage space) than the Accord, Altima or Malibu. Better still, he says that the car has put on no more than 200 pounds in the process.



To handle the new size and weight, Mazda upped the power of both the base four-cylinder engine and the top-of-the-line V6. With 170 hp and 167 lb.-ft. of torque, the slightly larger 2.5-liter inline-4 no longer is plenty powerful. Along with its bump in displacement from 2.3 liters, the four-cylinder features a new two-stage intake, more efficient cylinder heads and a less restrictive exhaust manifold.



When connected to the standard six-speed manual, the four-cylinder delivers 21 mpg city and 29 mpg highway. The automatic option adds an extra mile per gallon in the city and on the highway.



The Ford-designed, Mazda-built V-6�featuring 3.7-liters, 272 horses and 269 ft.-lb. of torque�is the same engine found in the much larger CX-9 crossover. But it offers less attractive fuel numbers (17 mpg city/25 mpg highway), and the six-speed automatic is the only available transmission for the V-6.



Mazda zeroed in on noise and vibration reductions, and the cabin area is 30-percent more rigid than in the previous car, according to Mazda�s R&D director Kelvin Hiraishi, who pointed out bulges in the floor pan intended specifically to stiffen that panel�and prevent it from acting like a noise-generating diaphragm. Engineers also focused on cutting down the wind noise leaking through door seals and sunroof surrounds.



There are a bunch of chassis improvements, including a one-piece, forged-steel front lower-control arm to provide better lateral stiffness and to eliminate any compliance in steering over bumps. The front wheels now turn almost 5 degrees more than before, reducing the turning circle by over 3 ft.



Each trailing arm in the rear suspension has an attachment point raised 1 in. to increase the anti-dive effect, keeping the body flat during hard braking. Larger diameter bushings allow a little rearward movement on harder bumps to improve impact absorption, and the twin-tube KYB dampers are placed further outboard in a more vertical position for better wheel control.



Michelin Pilot four-season radial tires are standard issue on all Mazda6 models, and come sized to fit either 16- or 17-in. wheels on the �i� model, with 17 or 18-inchers on the �s.� In terms of safety, the �09 Mazda6 is replete with airbags, ABS, LATCH child-seat hookups and stability control as standard equipment. There�s also an optional blind-spot monitoring system that checks the lanes alongside the car and warns of the presence of vehicles if you try to change lanes.



Other interesting gadgets include keyless entry and a 10-speaker, 333-watt Bose stereo. An owner can utilize the vehicle diagnostics connector (via a special tool at the dealer) to tune various functions such as headlamp on-and-off cycles, turn-signal buzzer volume, blind-spot warning activation, power door lock operation and about 20 other functions.



The Drive

Whether or not the redesign has the desired effect on consumers remains to be seen, but we like the look of the new Mazda6 on the road. The interior is artful and tidily crafted�basically what we�ve come to expect from this inventive car company. And there�s certainly ample room inside, even for this 6-ft.-5, long-torso reviewer to sit in the back so long as he scrunches down a tiny bit to avoid contact with the headliner (the headroom is slightly compromised by the fast roofline). Luckily, there�s enough knee room to allow that. And the sound dampening measures really worked; this car is as quiet as a church mouse.



Of course, with its �zoom zoom� reputation at stake, the new Mazda6 has to handle nimbly, and the firm bushing durometer values used in its suspension transmit a little ride noise back into the cabin�well, at least in the Mazda6i model powered by that new 2.5-liter, 170-hp engine.



We certainly expected more power�and got it. Where the 2.5-liter four feels pretty peppy out on the road, the 272-hp V-6 is downright intoxicating. Coupled only to a six-speed automatic with manual shift mode, the 6i models demonstrated great flexibility with a serious high-end punch.