2017 Kia Optima Hybrids: Details On 27-Mile Plug-In Hybrid: Live Photos And Video

Kia aims for a 25-percent increase in its U.S. fleet-wide fuel efficiency by 2020; and the new 2017 Optima Hybrid and Optima Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), introduced today at the Chicago Auto Show and due later this year, are key additions to the brand’s lineup to achieve that.

Although the new Optima Hybrid and Optima PHEV are new models, they’re not mechanically unique. They have the same 27-mile all-electric EPA rating, the same 154-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, the same six-speed automatic transmission packaged with a 38-kW (or 50-kW for the PHEV) single electric motor, and the same 1.62-kWh (or 9.8-kWh) lithium-ion battery pack, as the Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid.

Multiple modes—including a charge-restoring one

Compared to the Sonata Plug-In Hybrid, the Optima Plug-In Hybrid offers the same choice between an all-electric mode, a hybrid mode that saves electric charge, and a charging mode, which charges the battery pack—at some expense of fuel economy and tailpipe emissions, of course.

What’s different, of course, is the rest of the package. These new hybrid and plug-in hybrid models are both indistinguishable from the mainstream Optima sedans in some respects—although they get active grille shutters plus a series of aerodynamic improvements that lower the coefficient of drag to a phenomenal 0.24.

2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid

That should be a good thing, as we’ve found the latest 2016 Kia Optima sedans to be far more comfortable and refined than their predecessors. Their supremely quiet ride, well-balanced ride-and-handling traits, and warmer, finely detailed interiors make the Optima lineup one of the best entries in its class.

And based on our first drive experience, and follow-ups, with the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid, these models benefit from tremendous improvement in the hybrid system’s electronic controls that allow it to accelerate far more smoothly yet have heightened responses.

No real sacrifice in space or versatility

These two models sacrifice very little to accommodate the hybrid system. Optima Hybrid models have a battery pack that stows effectively in the place where a spare tire would otherwise be, while the Optima PHEV has its battery under (and just behind) the back seat, cutting slightly into cargo space.

Charge times for the battery pack in the Plug-In Hybrid range from just under nine hours on normal 120V household AC, down to less than three hours on 240V (Level 2).

Optima PHEV models will offer an EV Services package that allows you to check the state of charge remotely, among other things. These models are Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatible—to control smartphone apps via the infotainment system—and the interface has been updated with Google Voice Recognition Local Search.

A ten-speaker, 630-watt Harman/Kardon surround-sound audio system is available, as is a suite of active-safety and driver-assistance systems—including Autonomous Emergency Braking, which can bring the vehicle to a full stop to avoid a crash or reduce damage.

Around 42 mpg for the Hybrid

Kia targets a ten-percent improvement to the fuel economy ratings of the 2017 Optima Hybrid, versus the outgoing model. Given the current model’s combined figure of 38 mpg, that would put the 2017 model in the range of 42 mpg—better on the highway than the Ford Fusion Hybrid, and better than the Toyota Camry Hybrid, as well as just ahead of the Sonata Hybrid.

As for the rest of the details, like features and pricing, we’ll just have to wait and see; look for them later in the spring, with both of these models expected by fall.

2015 Nissan Versa SR is a Tiny, Sporty Limo

When Nissan first announced the sporty new “SR”version of the Versa Note at last year’s Chicago Auto Show, I wondered if the new Nissan Versa SR would be a worthy successor to the classic 1991 Sentra SE-R. After spending 8 days with the car in and around Chicago’s suburbs, allow me to tell you that the new Versa SR isn’t half the driver’s car that the old SE-R was … but it’s easily twice the actual, usable, practical car that the SE-R was.

What the he(ck) am I talking about? Read on.

Nissan Versa Note SR – What “SR” Gets You

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Nissan’s Versa Note SR is quite similar, visually, to the standard Versa Note I drove through the twisty roads outside of San Diego last year. That’s a good thing, as the old SE-R was, itself, something of a pint-size Q-ship. Under the skin, however, it’s in a different league.

In the standard Versa S, aggressive driving and cornering were strongly discouraged by the car’s budget suspension, tire, and wheel choices. To describe the experience, I wrote:

Under hard braking, the Nissan Versa’s back end got very light. On a few corners I’d taken flat in other cars wearing similar sticker prices, the Versa’s excessive body roll and utterly numb steering scared me into braking- and acceleration out of any corner with an incline had me convinced I’d broken the car (I hadn’t).

Not good. In the SR version of the Versa, however, you get sportier suspension tuning mated to upgraded wheels and actually quite good tires, meaning that the little hot hatch remains confidently planted during some of the same maneuvers that produced terror and fear in the base car.

During my initial drive of the Versa, I also complained about the car’s interior, saying that “while I looked at the outside of the Versa and thought ‘How did they build that for $12K?’, I’ll admit that, after a few minutes spent checking out the inside … I’d found my answer.” The Versa SR, though, with its 370Z and GTR-inspired interior styling, updated dashboard, and (relatively) luxe materials presented an entirely different impression.

After a few minutes in the car, I played the same little game I always do with my wife: What’s it Cost?

“It’s cute,” she said. “I wouldn’t pay too much for it, though. Maybe $25,000, so I’d guess the sticker is around $27,000.”

Most of the time, the wife is pretty good at this game. If anything, she usually guesses a bit low (like she did with the Mazda 6). This time, however, she was off by nearly $10,000 … and she was LOW, too- because the 2015 Nissan Versa SR we drove was priced at “just” $17,530.

That number, by the way, is less than $2000 north of the non-SR Versa Note I tested in 2014, and should make ticking the “SR” option box on your Nissan Versa Note order sheet a ridiculous no-brainer.

So, all is well so far. The SR version, however, had one more surprise waiting for me when I got in the back seat.

Nissan Versa Note SR – a Tiny Little Limo

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In markets like SE Asia, cars like the Honda Fit and Nissan Versa are seen as up-market choices for young adults. The Versa in particular, though, has become somewhat popular as a taxi- and, after a week with one, I can see why!

The rear seat of the Versa is absolutely cavernous, as evidenced by the fact that there was nearly a foot of air between the back of my daughter’s rear-facing baby seat and my driver’s seat. For a good comparison, in my own (larger) Honda CR-V, there’s less than 6 inches of space.

Legroom in the rear of the Versa, too, is impressive, and my wife decided to just stay in the rear of the thing along with our daughter once she discovered that fact. So, for a week, I drove the ladies around like a Chicago cabbie- with just enough sporty feel through the SR’s steering to make the task seem almost kind of enjoyable.

Nissan Versa Note SR – Final Thoughts

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So, would I recommend a Nissan Versa Note to my friends and family? Would it pass the “in-laws” test? In a word: No.

The Nissan Versa Note SR, however, is an entirely different matter and- while I still probably wouldn’t recommend the car to anyone hoping for a modern-day SE-R- I can totally see why the SR would appeal to a young, growing family. Especially a young, growing family with a partner that wants to be driven around like a queen.

You can find out more about the 2015 Nissan Versa SR at Nissan’s website, and check out the Chicago Auto Show “super gallery” of images one more time, below. Enjoy!

Nissan Versa Note SR Super Gallery

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Original content from Gas 2; some photos courtesy Nissan North America.

Lincoln To Get $5 Billion Dollar Makeover

Mark Fields, the new CEO of Ford Motor Company, is prepared to invest $5 billion dollars to rescue the ailing Lincoln brand. The goal is to triple Lincoln’s annual sales from today’s anemic 100,000 units to 300,000 units by 2020. But doing so will take far more than slapping a Lincoln badge on the back of existing Ford brands like the Mustang, Edge or Flex and calling it a day. It will take some effort from Lincoln to build excitement among its existing customer base, small as it is. At this year’s Chicago Auto Show, no one from Lincoln even bothered to make the trip over from Detroit to commune with the faithful.

Insider Car News reports the heart of the Field’s initiative is a new modular rear wheel drive chassis known internally as the D6 platform. Fields apparently believes bringing back rear wheel drive is just what Lincoln needs to take on Mercedes Benz and BMW in the uber-sedan market.

Lincoln has a long and proud heritage as a purveyor of fine motorcars going back to the 1930’s. But it has been little more than an afterthought in the American marketplace for at least a decade. Outgoing CEO Alan Mullaly was ready to kill the Lincoln brand completely, according to reports. Lincoln’s last attempt at a bold idea was wrapping a Ford F-150 in about a square mile of leather and calling it the Mk LT. It was the perfect vehicle if you needed to stop at Home Depot for a box of nails on the way to the opera while dressed in a tuxedo. Lincoln sold dozens of the things, some of which will probably end up in museums for their curiosity value.

Over the years, lots of manufacturers have announced their intention to take on Mercedes and BMW head to head. Lexus, Infiniti and Cadillac are a few that come to mind. Even Mercedes tried to out-do itself with its ultra-upscale Maybach brand. But when the road test results are in and the sales figures are tabulated, the traditional German brands always come out on top.

Field’s Folly is sending snickers through the boardrooms of car makers around the globe. Some suggest that Mullaly was right to consider closing down the division and that this new initiative will only postpone the time when Lincoln follows the likes of Plymouth, Pontiac and Oldsmobile into automotive oblivion.

Source | Photos: Insider Car News.

2015 Lincoln MKC at Chicago: Good, but Lincoln Needs to Do More

Lincoln announced their new-for-2015 Lincoln MKC crossover at this year’s Detroit Auto Show back in January. I was there with my fellow Gas 2 people Chris DeMorro and Nick Brown, and we all missed it. Every one of us walked by it, and none of us recognized it as a new model, despite the big lazy suzan underneath it and the shiny chrome “Ecoboost” badges on the MKC’s backside. Lincoln, clearly, has a problem … but it’s not the problem you might think.

The fact that this new Ecoboost SUV didn’t catch our eye is probably a good thing. In a show packed with hot new cars, the MKC (unlike its sore-thumb brother, the Navigator) fit in perfectly. The styling, too, is dead-nuts on, and the 2015 Lincoln MKC is every bit as good-looking in person as, say, the 2015 Porsche Macan. Maybe better than the Porsche, if you prefer Ford’s Edge look to Porsche’s “angry jellybean”. Even the interior …

… is a modern-looking piece. Light, airy, and roomy-looking in person- even if my own pictures from the show floor didn’t come out right.

No, Lincoln’s problem isn’t in its product line. Lincoln has a great product line these days, full of both green and go-fast options. The problem, instead, is Lincoln’s attitude.

Last summer, I reached out to Lincoln to pitch a SEMA build to Lincoln through Switzer Performance. The guys at Switzer are big fans of the Ecoboost, as are we, and we wanted to do a seriously high HP Lincoln sedan and, as I gracefully explained to Ford’s Scott Monty, “drive it right up AMG’s ass.” We had a legit engine-builder lined up, a few handshake-deal sponsors, and had the hardware to convert the big, bad Lincoln to flex-fuel for a green angle in place before reaching out. It would have been a huge media hit for Lincoln, we all thought.

No response from Lincoln. Mr. Monty explained that Lincoln “didn’t really do SEMA” anymore.

At the Chicago Auto Show, I tried to ask questions about the upcoming 2015 Lincoln MKC. Nothing fancy, just stuff like: When would it be available? Who could I speak to to arrange a test drive? Was Lincoln planning a hybrid version?

Not only did the fashionable and trendy models at the Lincoln booth not know the answers to the above questions- they told me, on a press day, that there was no one at the show “from Lincoln” for me to talk to.

One of the biggest auto shows in the world. A new product that you could line up next to similar models from Porsche or BMW and look credible with. A prime show location and big-budget display. A storied legacy with tons of gear head cred. Lincoln had all of those things going for it at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show, and didn’t even bother showing up.

That’s too bad. Too bad for Lincoln, and too bad for us- that MKC really is a good-looking little car, and it might have had a chance to do something positive for Lincoln in the marketplace, if only the people who made it were willing to pound their own chests a teeny, tiny bit. That’s just my take on it, though- what’s yours?

Original content from Gas 2, interior photo courtesy Lincoln Motor Co.

600 Miles on 6 Gallons of Gas * in a 2014 Silverado HD **

That’s right, kids! You could, (and if my math is right) drive more than 600 miles on just under 6 gallons of gasoline in Chevy’s new Silverado HD. Of course, there are asterisks all over a statement like that. Still, that statement is technically correct.

So, let’s start explaining ourselves, shall we?

Chevrolet introduced their new 2014 Silverado HD trucks a few weeks ago, and chose the Chicago Auto Show as the venue to announce that GM’s CNG product rollout had paid off- the new Silverado HD would be available with a bi-fuel CNG option straight from the factory. In addition to reducing carbon emissions, a move to CNG could save construction and contractor fleets thousands of dollars due to the fact that CNG costs much less to buy than an equivalent amount of petroleum-based gasoline. So, the first asterisk is that you have to tick the $11,000 Bi-Fuel option when you order your truck.

The second asterisk is a bit flimsier, but stay with me. See, the new Chevy Silverado HD Bi-Fuel model uses GM’s 6.0 liter Vortec V8 as its base. The same 6.0 liter Vortec V8 that features the prominently following sticker under its hood:

That’s right- the CNG Bi-Fuel model is built using the flex-fuel version of GM’s 6.0 liter Vortec, meaning that you could- if you wanted to- fill the truck’s 36 gallon fuel tank with 36 gallons of E85, instead of 36 gallons of dino-juice. Since E85 is 85% ethanol, that leaves 15% that’s still gasoline (which works out to 5.4 gallons of gas per 36 gallon tank).

Based on Chevy’s claims that the 2014 Silverado Bi-Fuel pickup as shown (crew cab/long bed) will go “more than 650 miles” on combined full tank of gas + full tank of CNG, we can do some math. Now, Chevy doesn’t report the MPG of its full-size trucks, but “13-ish” feels right to me, giving us numbers that look like …

MPG (Est.)	TANK SIZE (Gal.)	RANGE (Miles)
13	36	468
–	–	182
TOTAL		650

… which, again, jives with me.

Now, the GM flex-fuel engines are flex-fuel capable, but are hardly “optimized” for E85. That means we’re going to lose some fuel economy “per gallon” here. Let’s figure that number at somewhere between 10 and 15% on the liquid fuel side of the equation. That brings 13 MPG down to 10.5-11.7 MPG range, making the numbers look like this in the most favorable sort of highway conditions.

MPG (Est.)	TANK SIZE (Gal.)	RANGE (Miles)
11.7	36	421
–	–	182
TOTAL		603

So, there it is. If you choose to run E85 in your 2014 Chevy Silverado HD pickup, you’ll be able to drive about 600 miles on not quite 6 gallons of petroleum gasoline. I don’t know about you guys, but that kind of bright red, V8-powered middle finger to the Saudi sheiks and fear-mongering oil companies makes me a giddy dude.

How does the new Silverado HD make you feel? Do you want to blast across route 66 in one, shouting “‘MURICAAA!!” at the top of your lungs, or does all this green-truck talk just remind you that there’s a commie socialist Nazi Muslim in the White House? Check out some heavy-Chevy pics and let us know what you think about the new big Chevys in the comments, below.

Sources: Chevrolet/GM

Ford Shows Electric Focus at 2014 Chicago Auto Show

This year’s Chicago Auto Show marked the first time I got to poke around one of Ford’s still rare electric Focus models. These EVs have been on the market since 2011, but haven’t had the same kind of success that the better-known, conceptually superior Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt have had in the last year. Part of that has to do with the Electric Focus’ higher price and another part of that has to do with the Electric Focus’ recalls. Mostly, though, it’s stuff like what you see in the trunk of the little car.

The trunk of the 2014 Ford Focus electric, by the way, looks like this …

… which compares very poorly to the flat, open trunks you get in said Leafs, Volts, Teslas, etc. That might be forgivable if the electric Focus played in the same pond as the $15,000 cheaper Mitusbishi iMiEV, but becomes downright laughable when you consider that Ford’s brass actually thought the electric Focus was going to out-sell the Chevy Volt.

It’s really too bad Ford did such a half-a**ed job on their EV entry, too. Looking beyond the trunk and the utter lack of practicality teased by the car’s hatchback body, the Focus is a dynamically competent, good-looking, and right-sized entry into the ever-more crowded field of electric commuter cars. With Ford’s fan base and dealer network, it really could have been a success. As it is, your EV dollars are definitely best spent elsewhere, and you don’t need a test drive to see that.

Source: Gas 2.