Car Throttle

I'm not just being mysterious; Kia really hasn't announced a name for it.  But what's in a name, anyway?  What's interesting here is that Kia wants to build a low-slung, rear wheel drive "four-door coupe." Besides a coupe of computer renderings, Kia hasn't given a whole lot of details on the car, but Frankfurt isn't that far away now - so expect more soon.  The big news is that this concept is on a rear-wheel-drive chassis.  That means it could either be based on the Genesis sedan (which has double wishbone independent front suspension) or the related Genesis Coupe (which uses simpler McPherson struts for space constraints.)  Still, this would be the first time Kia has offered a rear-wheel-drive vehicle since the original Sportage quasi-SUV from

The Kia Koup (yes, it is spelled with a K by the manufacturer) is the closest Kia has come to a dedicated performance car in recent years. Hyundai has gotten a diverse array of coupes over the years, including the Tiburon, Genesis Coupe and Veloster. Hyundai and Kia are both under one roof, but vehicles between the two have been impressively differentiated. For instance, look at the Sonata and the Optima - you wouldn't be able to tell they shared anything. For most enthusiasts the Optima is the vehicle of choice. It has a driver-focused cockpit and a more aggressive, chiseled appearance. Hyundai is softer in approach, evidenced by its "fluidic sculpture" design language. That carries through to other aspects as well - Kia is more performance-oriented.

Continuing along with the rest of the new stuff at NYIAS this year, welcome to Part 2 of our "best of the rest" coverage, a sort of all-at-once splurt of information to keep you up to date on the latest developments, without boring you to death with new paint colors for the Kia Optima.  Here we go. 2012 Subaru Impreza Sedan/Hatchback Subaru has finally come to their senses with the Impreza.  While it's always been a relatively fun-to-drive car even in non-turbocharged form, it hasn't really experienced great sales in the economy-car market compared to more conventional rivals.  The biggest reason would be the big-car fuel economy in a small, unrefined package.  The current Impreza 2.5i makes a fairly impressive 173bhp from it's single-cam 2.5L horizontally

Auto Shows these days are a mix of really exciting debuts, and a lot of updates. Some of these updated models are interesting, but not really worth an entire article to themselves.  I've saved you the time of clicking a thousand links to consolidate the rest of the significant debuts at the NYIAS (New York International Auto Show) this year. Revised Jaguar XK and XF Models There's nothing really wrong with the XK and XF models, which are some of Jag's most competitive models to date.  But the breakneck pace of the market dictates that if it's been out three years, it's already looking old.  Enter the new XF (left) and the new XK (right.)  The revised styling on the XF is intended to mimic Jag's

If you're looking for a new car, and your budget is around $20k, there are a lot of choices. This is a pretty thick segment of the new-car market in the US, as credit requirements get tighter and people are becoming more prudent with their spending.  Gone are the days of financing a $40,000 Pontiac for 5 years because the APR was good - people are actually starting to shop within their means.  Which means that the affordable car is no longer being neglected by manufacturers in the US.  And while some of them focus on luxury or tech goodies as their means of pulling customers in the door, some of them focus more on the fun-to-drive quotient. Cars like the GTI and WRX that were

Hyundai and Kia are both experiencing a product renaissance, with all-new models that offer strong competition in their respective categories. There is no doubt the star of Hyundai's current lineup is the mid-size 2011 Sonata. It has received a disproportionate amount of the attention compared with its Kia sibling, the Optima. But the Optima was also redesigned for 2011, with a bold and tech-focused look that differs from the CLS-inspired Sonata. While the Sonata has been the big seller, many critics have actually rated the Optima higher than the Sonata. With a driver-focused cabin it also seems to be the enthusiasts choice. Cars.com agrees, awarding the Optima its "Best of 2011" award. It had this to say about the award: "With its value, sharp packaging,

Hyundai/Kia is definitely the talk of the New York International Auto Show. Usually the automotive press declares a show "winner" and in New York, that would definitely have to be Hyundai/Kia. New introductions have included the Hyundai Sonata Turbo, Sonata Hybrid, Equus and the Kia Forte 5-door as well as the official pictures and information drop on the Kia Optima. The Optima is one handsome mid-size sedan - and expensive looking too. Kia has clearly settled on a design language with its newest products, and it is one we really like. It looks solid and technologically-oriented. One thing is clear, that while the Sonata and the Optima share platforms, the two are nothing alike. This is platform sharing done right. Our favorite view is of the rear. It looks really different and is

Hyundai and Kia have come a long way - never is that more evident than in our recent review of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. While Hyundai has gone and is going far upmarket with cars like the Genesis and Equus, Kia is moving up but not quite as far (for now, at least). Vehicles like the Soul have shown a fun, sporty side of the brand that we really like. The Cadenza was recently introduced and looks to be a strong contender in the segment. One vehicle that we never have been particularly impressed with from Kia though is the current Optima, but Kia is looking to change that in a very big way for 2011. For one, the car is bigger, whereas the

Hyundai and its counterpart ended 2009 with a bang, increasing sales and most importantly, debuting some impressive new models. For Hyundai, the Azera started the initial move upmarket, followed by the Genesis and the new Equus. Kia recently debuted the new Cadenza, but rumors are swirling about a move even further upmarket. The Cadenza has sometimes been mistakenly referred to as being based on the Hyundai Genesis - it isn't. That would be the K9 (no, not a dog and that is just the media's name for it). The Kia Amanti-replacement project goes under the code name "CH"  (no, not a dog - and that isn't the finalized name) sedan. A graphic of the front end appeared recently on screen at a Kia design presentation. From that,