2006.5 Kia Optima

When thinking of a mid-size family sedan variety, I beat most of us won’t think of Kia.The Korean-based manufacturer would like to change that, with its new 2006.5 Optima, which was recently introduced to the automotive press in California’s Napa Valley and is now available.

You might tend to confuse the 2006.5 Optima with the 2006 model, huge mistake. The new-generation Optima shares only the name, and the optional V6 engine. It’s built on a new platform, with a longer wheelbase and increased width giving more interior space - more than any of the other common mid-size sedans, actually. The trunk is substantially larger, and like all new Kias, the full complement of safety equipment - six airbags, active front headrests, a tire pressure monitoring system, and four-wheel disk brakes - is included as standard equipment in all models. Antilock brakes with electronic stability control, traction control, and brake assist are available as a packaged option.

Most apparent is new and much more contemporary styling. Gone are the somewhat strange proportions of the first-generation Optima, replaced by a fuller and much more mainstream look, with short overhangs for optimum space utilization.

Like its competitors, the new Optima is a front-wheel drive car available in four-cylinder or V6 trim. The V6 is the same 2.7-liter unit found in recent models of the first-generation Optima, but it now has 185 horsepower, a nearly ten percent improvement, and improved fuel economy. The 2.4-liter four is all-new, and with a fifteen percent power increase, to 161 hp, it bests most of its four-cylinder competitors. The four comes standard with a five-speed manual transmission, but is expected to be more likely sold with the optional five-speed automatic, which has a “Sportmatic'’ manual-shift mode and is the only transmission with the V6.

Suspension is fully-independent, with MacPherson struts in front and a multilink setup in the rear. It’s tuned in a very European manner, softly sprung but well-damped, with spring, shock damping, and anti-roll bar rates all matched for a comfortable ride and good handling.

The new Optima competes in a price-sensitive class, and with base prices ranging from $16,995 for a four-cylinder manual LX through $ 21,000 for an EX V6, it’s very competitive. For the mid-size sedans that are available with both four-cylinder and V6 engines, the fours are the best sellers.
The 2006.5 Kia Optima is a car with a distinctive character that offers an alternative to the common mid-size sedan.

Written by admin on May 21st, 2006 with no comments.
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Audi Q7 Preview

I recently came across a Audi presentation, of a really fine looking new SUV they recently launched, the Q7. There, the Audi spokesmen, tried to point out that the Q7 is not mearly a streched version of an other faimous???? SUV, the Touareg. They stated that the Q7, has only 15 % parts commonly with the other car in question, most of wich are suspension parts. They also stated, in my opinion, a very shocking fact, that the Q7 is the most important vehicle in Audi history.

Audi didn’t want to rush things, and release a “me too” version of the Cayenne/Touareg, so they chose to???? take it’s time and not rush things. Why Q7? Q as in quattro, Audi’s well-developed all-whell system, which is standard in all Q7s, and 7 as it fits between the midsize A6 sedan and wagon and A8 premium luxury sedan in the company’s lineup.

On an more economical point of view, the SUV trend wave has some what deminiced, but SUV’s still represent an important part in the USA’s auto market. The Q7 will gather buyers from two groups - existing Audi owners who need an SUV and want an Audi SUV, no substitutes, and conquest sales. Selling to brand fanatics is easy; making conquests is not.

But conquering new clients shouldn’t be a challenging problem, for this fine vehicle. Being an Audi, It’s a luxury vehicle first and foremost, with classy interiour and design. In the Audi lineup, it’s closest to the A6 sedan in interior design. And it does have a true seven-passenger capacity, not merely five and two (very) small children stuffed way in the back. The third row provides reasonable space and comfort for two medium-sized - say 5-8 or less - adults. The first two rows provide all the space and comfort anyone could need.

Despite it’s ancestry, this car is far from being a truck, a luxury crossover wagon is the best???? word to describe this vehicle. Despite its 8.1 inches of ground clearance, the center of gravity is low enough, and mass centralized enough, and quattro traction good enough, to give it ride and handling properties closer to a sport wagon than sport-utility vehicle. It’s obviously heavy, at between 5300 and 550 pounds depending on trim level, and so doesn’t have the lightning-quick reflexes of an S4, but it is one of the top SUVs for road manners. Low aspect ratio tires on alloy wheels help significantly, with reduced unsprung weight compared to standard high-profile truck tires.

On a more technical level, the Q7 350 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque; Zero-to-60 time is around seven seconds, so the Q7 won’t be lumbering in traffic. Though you may not belive it, many people use the Q7 for it’s towing capabilities, with a 5500-lb standard towing capacity, or 6600 with the optional towing package.

Audi may be the last to enter the SUV party, but sometimes the best is saved for last.

Written by admin on May 16th, 2006 with no comments.
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