2012 Hyundai Sonata.

When it comes to passenger cars in the U.S., the mid-size sedan segment dominates. Sure, we can get all excited about the latest sporty coupe, big luxury sedan, or ultra-efficient purpose-built hybrid, but when it comes to sheer volume, the good old 4-door family car leads the way.

Twenty twelve will be a major year for the mid-size sedan, with several newly-revised models debuting between now and December. The Chevy Malibu, Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima, and Honda Accord will all roll into their respective makers’ showrooms with new styling and new technology. We also just got a new VW Passat, which seeks to be more of a player in the sales race.

And this past fall, Toyota completely revised their vaunted Camry, perpetually the best-selling car in the country. Period. Not best-selling mid-size car, but best-selling car of any type. (It’s not the best-selling vehicle, as that honor goes to the Ford F-Series pickup truck, which handily trounces the Camry and all other cars year after year.)

But while Toyota played it really safe with the 2012 Camry’s styling, Hyundai went a different direction with its 2011 Sonata, still looking fresh and sleek even though it’s about to be the oldest design in the segment. Hyundai has made a conscious decision to be the style leader in the segment. The 2013 Malibu and Fusion are raising the styling bar as well, in hopes that Toyota is wrong, and that mid-size buyers really do want a car that looks good, in addition to the other attributes expected of a modern mid-size sedan.

I recently got to revisit the Sonata, as I needed to demo a car that has Hyundai’s new BlueLink system. (It’s effectively their answer to GM’s OnStar, providing everything from emergency response to concierge service for a tiered structure of annual fees.) To my delight, the car Hyundai sent over wasn’t a full-zoot, top-of-the-line example, but a value-priced GLS trim model.

While my initial exposure to the Sonata was in a Limited trim model with everything but the kitchen sink, that version starts to push the $30,000 mark if you load it to the gills with the turbo engine and navigation system. The GLS is the entry car, available for under twenty grand if you like to shift your own gears via a 6-speed manual transmission. Choose an automatic GLS, and you’re just barely over $20,000.

So does that mean the basic Sonata is a “stripper”? Hardly. Before they decided to emphasize styling, Hyundai’s mantra was value. In other words, more car for less money compared to the competition. In this case, things like electronic stability control, Bluetooth hands-free phone link and remote lock/unlock are part of the long list of standard features.

Presumably because they don’t want their press vehicles being photographed with the standard 16” wheels with silver plastic wheel covers, Hyundai chose to equip this particular car with the Popular Equipment Package, which includes not only a handsome set of aluminum wheels, but a power driver’s seat and a few other things for the whopping price of … $750.

The GLS is really a delight to use in everyday driving. The 2.4 liter four cylinder engine is smooth and peppy, and the 6-speed automatic keeps you in the right gear at all times, especially where fuel efficiency is concerned. This car is rated at 24 mpg in city driving and 35 on the highway. Considering this is an impressively spacious car, that’s an impressive number.

The seats are comfortable, the controls are well laid out, and the Sonata is reasonably quiet. I could see this being a nice long-term commuter car, especially considering its 10 year / 100,000 mile warranty and $21,545 bottom line price.

And here comes the competition, each vying for a piece of that lucrative mid-size sedan sales pie. Styling, value, and fuel efficiency will be contested, and all for the better. Let the contest begin.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz, Facebook: ABC7Dave

2012 McLaren MP4-12C.

If you spend some time in upscale Beverly Hills, you’ll likely see a Ferrari parked curbside in the shopping district. Drop by on a busy Saturday, and you might just spot several, along with one or more Lamborghinis.

Yes, folks in 90210 can get jaded about exotic cars, if they even bother to look up from their latte or black truffle risotto to notice them. High-end sports cars are just part of the landscape, right along with designer clothing and cosmetic surgery.

But as I tooled down Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Drive, and Olympic Boulevard in the McLaren MP4-12C recently, I got a few double-takes. The car wasn’t even painted a flashy color, but it didn’t matter. The new exotic in town got noticed. This is the United Kingdom’s answer to the Ferrari 458 Italia: a rakish, mid-engine supercar that costs several times the average annual salary in the U.S.

First, a bit of history: McLaren is a name steeped in racing, founded by New Zealander Bruce McLaren in the 1960s. The company had racing success almost right off the bat, winning Formula 1 grand prix events, the Indianapolis 500, the North American Can Am series, and even the 24 Hours of Le Mans in just a few short years. To this day, a McLaren has won one out of four F1 grand prix races it’s entered.

And every once in awhile, the company in Woking, England builds a road car. In the early 1990s, it was a three-seat exotic called the McLaren F1. About a decade later, they teamed up with Mercedes-Benz to create the Mercedes McLaren SLR, in both coupe and roadster form.

For 2012, they’re launching an all-new car called the MP4-12C. That alphabet soup moniker follows the way they designate their Formula 1 cars. No fancy made-up name; just a bunch of letters and numerals to denote which project it is.

When you first see the new McLaren, it looks both familiar and different. Familiar in that it’s laid out in the same manner as Ferrari and Lamborghini’s supercars, with the engine placed just behind the cockpit for ideal weight distribution. The nose is short and chiseled, and huge tires sit at each corner.

What you can’t see in the MP4-12C is its central tub, made of exotic carbon fiber. Racing cars have been using this type of structure for decades, with yes, McLaren itself being the first to implement it back in 1981. (It was originally developed for the aerospace and aviation industries.)

The structure is extremely strong, very rigid, and most importantly, featherweight by automotive standards. With that and the extensive use of aluminum most other places, the MP4-12C tips the scales at under 2,900 pounds.

Light weight and efficient power are what win races in most series (not necessarily in NASCAR, unfortunately), and here too McLaren has applied what it’s learned on the track. The twin-turbo V8 under the rear deck is merely 3.8 liters in displacement, yet puts out 592 horsepower. Compare that to one of the darlings of high-performance V8s these days, the supercharged one in Cadillac’s awesome CTS-V. GM’s engineering prowess has produced a motor that’s just 26 horsepower shy of the one in the McLaren, but it needs 6.2 liters to do it.

McLaren’s head honcho Ron Dennis is quite proud of the fact that his company’s new supercar puts out that kind of thrust (which gets the car to 60 mph in around three seconds), yet is not subject to a federal gas guzzler tax, as pretty much every other exotic is.

During a brief drive around the Santa Monica mountains, the car’s “launch control” system was demonstrated to me. Essentially, the central computer lets you accelerate as fast as is possible, controlling wheel spin, shift points, and so on. I have never in my life experienced such accelerative force in a street car; the blood rushed from my head until I wisely backed off the throttle.

Sure, it’s $229,000 (base price), and isn’t all that practical with only two fairly tight seats. But when you can accelerate like something competing in a professional drag race, as well as turn heads in downtown Beverly Hills, you’re at the wheel of something really special.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz, Facebook: ABC7Dave

2012 Volkswagen Passat.

The new 2012 VW Passat is pleasing to the eye, though not necessarily eye-catching. It has clean lines and a nicely sculpted chrome grill. It’s also fairly large compared to prior iterations of the car, to better compete with the likes of the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

Volkswagen is earnestly seeking to increase its share of the American automotive market. The push started a couple of years ago with the redesigned Jetta, made more affordable (which somewhat translated to “using cheaper materials”) and with some formerly standard content going onto the options list.

While auto critics tisk tisk-ed the new low-rent base model Jetta, VW must have known what it was doing, as sales went way up. Now, the second phase of their plan to climb the U.S. sales charts is here as well. America, say hello to the larger and roomier Passat.

When I say roomy, I really mean it. The interior is downright huge for a mid-size sedan. Even with the front seats moved all the way back (which is more than even tall drivers really need), there’s still ample leg room for rear passengers. Go back and pop the trunk open, and you’ll see that it’s gigantic.

Yep, this new Volkswagen is aimed squarely at American car buyers. It’s also built by American workers, at a state-of-the-art factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee. VW invested heavily in creating a green manufacturing facility in order to build cars here and avoid the problems of currency fluctuations. They also need production capacity if they’re to reach their goal of being the biggest car maker in the world.

Operating assembly plants on U.S. soil is nothing new for car companies from other countries. The Japanese got the ball rolling in the 1980s, followed by German brands in the ‘90s. In fact, every ML-Class that Mercedes-Benz builds and every X3, X5, and X6 that BMW makes — no matter where in the world they’re sold — are built at their respective American assembly plants.

Starting one from scratch is the way to go. Modern production techniques mean that a company can build the exact same car in places like Alabama, South Carolina, or Tennessee as it does in Germany. Volkswagen’s prior effort at building cars in America was a bit of a flop, after converting an aging former Chrysler factory outside of Pittsburgh.

Part of the criticism of the Pennsylvania-built VW Rabbits, Golfs, and Jettas (1979-1989) was that they were altered a little too much in order to fit in with American buyers’ tastes. The suspensions and seats became soft, and the cars had lost a lot of their German character. Build quality had also gone down a couple of notches.

With the 2012 Passat, Volkswagen has managed to strike a good balance between that Teutonic solidity that makes cars from das Vaterland so appealing to U.S. buyers, as well as comfort and convenience they can get from mid-size rivals. If you hit the local auto mall and try out all the popular mid-sizers, the Passat matches up very well.

But get it out on the road, and you do get a bit of that very German road behavior. The ride is not overly harsh, but it’s firm and controlled. The steering has a nicely-weighted feel to it too. Again, very German. Engine choices range from a 2.5 liter 5-cylinder, to a 3.6 liter V6, and even Volkswagen’s excellent TDI clean turbo diesel, making the Passat the only car in the segment with that option (for now, anyway).

Part of VW’s strategy for the 2012 Passat, as it was for the Jetta, is to offer an attractive base price. In this case, the stripper S model starts at $19,995, though that does include things like electronic stability control and Bluetooth connectivity. Top-of-the-line SEL Premium grade Passats, with either TDI or V6 gasoline power, start just above $32,000.

Many American buyers like the cachet of a European car. And many American buyers feel good purchasing a car built by American factory workers. VW’s new Passat offers up both those feelings in one car.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz, Facebook: ABC7Dave

2012 Cadillac SRX.

Just as GM was getting back on its feet a few years ago, they launched a new SRX luxury crossover SUV. Its dramatic looks and practical features were a solid hit, but its base 3.0 liter V6 engine was more like a bunt. It was too small and unrefined to move such a vehicle around smartly.

Help came along soon … sort of. There was a turbocharged engine available, a 2.8 liter unit making 300 horsepower and shared with the Saab 9-5. The problem was, it wasn’t easy to find an SRX Turbo, and it was only sold as an up-level all-wheel-drive model.

For 2012, Cadillac has finally updated the SRX with the engine it should have had in the first place: the wonderfully smooth and powerful 3.6 liter V6 found in the Caddy CTS as well as the Chevy Camaro. It’s now standard in every 2012 SRX.

Now it has the guts to keep up with its looks. The new engine makes 308 horsepower (43 more than the old engine), and is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, which has been revised for better efficiency. No longer is Cadillac’s crossover a weakling on hills or when carrying lots of people and cargo.

With this engine transplant, the SRX is truly competitive in the luxury crossover segment. There are many players there, including the Lexus RX350, which every car brand tends to benchmark. What Cadillac brings to the party is eye-catching style and a “just right” size.

Cadillac’s greatest strength these days is its distinctive design. When you see any of the brand’s new models (two more will debut this year), you know right off the bat that they’re Cadillacs. Crisp shapes and a bold grill combined with a high-tech motif gets the brand noticed.

From a practicality standpoint, the SRX is hard to beat. The height is just right for easy ingress and egress, and you can stow a lot of things in the back. There’s also a clever sliding bar that holds items in place (I really dislike hearing things slide around in the cargo hold of any vehicle while driving), as well as a deep compartment beneath the floor.

From a driving perspective, the SRX is world-class. The new engine is silky smooth and quiet in traffic, but emits a nice growl when you need to call up some extra horsepower. The transmission shifts perfectly, and thanks to today’s technology, you can select “eco” or “sport” modes to aid in fuel efficiency or driving fun, respectively.

Every gadget you could want is also at your beck and call, and even things you might not realize you’d want. My test SRX was equipped with remote starting from the key fob, which was handy on some of the sub-40-degree mornings we had in the pre-dawn hours. Hit a button on the remote, and the engine fires right up and gets the heater going. Obviously it will work just as well on a hot afternoon when you’d like the car cooled off before you get in.

The seats are wonderfully comfortable, and there’s even a fair amount of handling prowess dialed into the chassis. As an urban commuter or a long-distance tourer, the SRX shines equally well. Fuel economy wasn’t anywhere near the ratings of 16 city and 23 highway on the EPA sticker (that’s with all wheel drive – two wheel drive models are rated +1 mpg on each cycle), but I wasn’t really trying hard either. More often than not I had the transmission in sport mode, because it was so much more fun.

Base price for a 2012 Cadillac SRX is $35,185. My test vehicle was a Performance Collection model with all wheel drive that started out at $46,340 but checked in with a DVD player and dual screens for the rear passengers for $1,395 and carried an as-delivered bottom line total of $47,735. I can’t imagine any feature it didn’t have, as it was loaded to the gills.

A good looking vehicle without guts is like someone who tones their body up with weights but does no cardio at all. They may appear to be in shape, but the first time they have to climb a hill, they’re quickly out of breath. The SRX now not only looks muscular, but it can run a marathon too.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz@pacbell.net. Twitter: @dave_kunz Facebook: ABC7Dave

2012 Lexus BMW 650i.

There’s something really cool and devil-may-care about driving a coupe. You could be saying, “I prefer style over practicality.” Or, you could be saying, “I don’t have to carry other people, and I bought this car for me.” Or perhaps a combination of the two, if not other reasons.

There was a time when you could get a two-door version of almost any car line on the road. Look at General Motors in the 1970s. From the base Chevrolet Vega economy car to the most fully-loaded Cadillac Eldorado, two-door cars or coupes (and yes, I know the two terms are not always interchangeable, but for the sake of argument we’ll put them in the same category) ran the gamut of the auto world.

Today it’s much different. You can’t buy a two-door in most of the mainstream compacts or mid-sizers, though the Honda Civic and Accord and the Nissan Altima are some exceptions. Chevy Cruze? Nope. Ford Focus? Again, negative. Toyota Corolla? No, not for many years. Camry? Toyota hasn’t made a coupe of that one since the early 1990s. And the Toyota Celica was euthanized some years ago.

No, if you do want a car with two doors, your selections are somewhat limited these days. Two categories where they still exist are sporty cars and luxury cars. How about a sporty car and a luxury car all in one? Well, I found one. It’s the 2012 BMW 6-series.

Large, comfy two-door Bimmers have a long heritage, essentially going back to the “batwing” CS models of the ‘70s. That car begat the 6-Series of ’77 to ’89, followed by the 8-Series, which then gave way to a resurrection of the 6-Series in 2004. Now, we get a follow-up to that model, the new 640i and 650i that debuted this past year, first in convertible and then in coupe form.

Sure, BMW has other two-doors, starting with the pint-sized 1-Series. In the middle is the vaunted 3-Series coupe, which has been the poster child for trust-fund-backed college students and junior law partners for over 30 years.

But the larger 6-Series is more expensive, more exclusive, and more of a showcase of technology. The engines get a bit of a high-tech makeover, with a six cylinder engine providing base level power for the first time in many years (in the U.S. anyway). With an eye toward fuel efficiency and carbon output, the 640i is motivated by an inline six with twin turbochargers that produces a smooth 315 horsepower.

Of course there’s an eight available in the car as well. The 650i carries BMW’s twin-turbo 4.4 liter aluminum V8, which puts out an even 400 horsepower and will take the big coupe to 60 miles per hour in under five seconds. With the 650i you can also go full-on sporty with a 6-speed manual transmission. An 8-speed automatic is standard with both the 640i and 650i.

The buyer of either 6-Series coupe will want for nothing as far as features go. One hallmark of the interior is that the large LCD screen is not recessed into the dashboard as in most cars, but proudly jutting out of the top like an iPad or a flat panel television. Gizmos abound, especially if you start checking option boxes.

I spent a week in a 650i with the 6-speed manual transmission and it was as loaded up as they come. Two really nice options of note were the multiple cameras (one in the rear, one in each side mirror, and one in each front fender) to aid in backing and parking, and full LED headlights with adaptive motion, which turns the lights in the direction the steering wheel is turned.

This isn’t an inexpensive car by any means. The 640i starts at $73,600, while the 650i will bend its buyers’ wallets to the tune of $83,000. Once the option packages start getting tallied, it’s easy to push the bottom line well into the $90,000 range and beyond.

But if you’re fortunate enough to be able to choose the new BMW 6-Series, you’ll have a great driving car with all the latest technology. You’ll also have the ability to say, “I bought this car to be stylish, and not necessarily practical.”

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz

2013 Lexus GS350.

The Lexus division of Toyota has had a great number of successes over its more than 20 years of existence. From the first LS sedan, which took the large luxury sedan world by storm, to the high-tech high-dollar LFA supercar, the brand hardly misses a step.

But in the crowded world of mid-size sporty luxury sedans, the Lexus GS has never really been a player. Strong competitors from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi have often dominated, and even brands like Cadillac and Infiniti improved their games in the past few years.

The first three generations of the GS have always been competent, but never really stood out in any way. The most notable thing about the outgoing model was that it offered a hybrid version long before other brands even thought about adopting the technology to their entries.

In fact, as the Lexus GS was winding its shelf life down in recent years, there was talk that it would quietly just die off. The company was concentrating its efforts elsewhere, and some executives saw it as an unnecessary part of the Lexus portfolio.

But other company leaders stepped up to defend having a sporty luxury 4-door in the lineup, including Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda. So the assignment was handed to designers and engineers to create a fourth-generation GS sedan that could finally be a player in the field.

An all-new design was penned, with the debut taking place on a stage at last August’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The look is crisper and sleeker, with a new grill design that’s a peek at the future of Lexus styling. Not everyone’s thrilled with the frontal appearance of the car (my neighbor even called it “ugly”), but you’ll definitely know the 2013 GS 350 when you see it.

Under the hood is a powerful new V6 engine producing 306 horsepower. That, and the same engine with a hybrid system attached (which arrives in the spring), are the only two choices for motivation. No more V8s for the GS, as only about 3% of buyers chose it. Also, the power of the hybrid system delivers V8 performance with better-than-V6 fuel economy.

To make the GS a little sportier, special attention was paid to the intake tuning. You may not have known this, but air being sucked into an engine at full throttle generally makes noise (just as exhaust makes noise leaving). That noise is usually muffled through clever ducting so as to keep the car quiet. At most times the 2013 GS is quiet too, but when you give it a lot of throttle the intake opens up and produces a wonderful growl during hard acceleration.

Inside, technology leads the way in several areas. Up high on the dash is an extra-wide LCD screen that has room for a full navigation display, but another section next to it for things like audio information. No more having to toggle back and forth between two screens while you’re simultaneously getting driving guidance and searching for music. They can exist side-by-side.

There’s also Lexus Enform, which essentially translates apps from your smartphone to the car. That way, the vehicle’s in-car display and hands-free system is an extension of whatever iPhone, Android or BlackBerry you happen to have, and even the ones you will have in future years. The car isn’t frozen in time technology-wise, and won’t become obsolete during the time you own it.

Pricing is right up there with competitors, starting at $46,900, the same base price as the 2011 GS350. (There was no 2012 GS.) You can get an all wheel drive version for $49,450, but then the option packages can start raising the price. It’s a safe bet that most 2013 GS350s on dealer lots starting in February will be priced well north of $50,000.

Even at that kind of tab, there’s a lot of competition for buyers looking for performance, style and luxury in the same package. Finally, Lexus has a legitimate shot at those customers with its newest GS.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz

2012 Honda CR-V EX-L.

Back in 1997, the wheels hadn’t quite fallen off the whole “bigger is better” philosophy that seemed to dominate the SUV segment. Gas was relatively inexpensive, and it was assumed by many that large truck-based sport utility vehicles were the safest things they could buy.

Honda introduced the CR-V that year, a slightly boxy four-door mini-ute based on the platform of their Civic. With a fuel-sipping engine, car-like ride, and handling as well as optional all-wheel drive, it was a sensible and affordable choice if you needed something slightly more useful than a sedan but didn’t want to spend too much or give up ride comfort.

These days, nearly every car brand has an entry in the compact crossover SUV segment, from Kia to Mercedes-Benz. And Honda has advanced its original idea by introducing the fourth-generation CR-V.

Though bigger than the original 1997 model, it’s actually a bit trimmer than the 2011 in terms of exterior dimensions. Yet thanks to clever packaging, there’s a touch more passenger room. And like the previous example, the cargo hold is absolutely huge. Open the liftgate and you might be amazed at how deep the luggage space is, again thanks good engineering and design.

Honda even came up with a very slick way to fold down the 60/40 rear seats for more cargo volume. Instead of having to flip one section and then another, you merely pull a single lever, and the seat flip-flops down and forward in about three seconds. If you’re out back, redundant levers on either side of the cargo hold will do this for you as well. That’s especially handy if you’re in a hurry to create extra space, like when you’ve just purchased something bulky and a downpour of rain has begun.

The engine is essentially a carryover from last year, but there’s a bit of extra power on tap. Compared to last year’s CR-V, the 2.4 liter four cylinder now makes an extra five horsepower for a total of 185. And, fuel economy is up a bit too, to 23 city and 31 highway by EPA estimates. You lose one mile per gallon on both cycles if you choose all-wheel drive.

One curious area where Honda is standing still engineering-wise: The sole transmission is a 5-speed automatic. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but these days even some of the lowest-priced economy cars have 6-speed automatics for better drivability and efficiency. It just seems strange that the CR-V hasn’t caught up in that regard.

But not to worry, as Honda’s continual refinement means that this example drives, rides, and handles as well or better than the competition. And if you want to really maximize fuel economy, they’ve included an “ECON” button on the dash. Push that and the engine computer remaps a bit to eke out a little more from each gallon of gasoline, though at the expense of engine peppiness.

It would seem that Honda has once again found the formula for success in the small SUV arena. The CR-V has many times been the top-selling model among not only compact crossovers but all SUVs in general. The only problem is, the competition hasn’t been sitting still. The new Kia Sportage, for example, is a first-rate contender. And in a few months, Ford will be launching an all-new Escape to take on Honda in this lucrative segment.

Base price for a 2012 CR-V LX is $22,295 with front-wheel drive. Moving up to the EX, with its additional standard features, will set you back $24,395 ($25,645 with all-wheel drive), and the range tops out at $29,795 for an EX-L with navigation, leather seats, and all-wheel drive.

Many have raved about the CR-V over the years, including the folks at J.D. Power, Edmunds, and Kelley Blue Book, all giving it awards and recommendations for its quality and value. This latest example should be able to stay right up there as a top pick among compact sport utility vehicles.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz

2012 Kia Rio 5-Door SX.

I’m now thoroughly convinced that there are no “bad” small cars anymore. Case in point is the 2012 Kia Rio. As recently as a few years ago, choosing the entry-level cars from one of the Korean brands meant getting by with a barely sufficient set of wheels.

But as the bar keeps getting raised in the compact and subcompact segments, the little buggers just keep getting better as a result. If you look back twenty years ago, even small cars from top brands often left a lot to be desired.

The Rio is all new for 2012, and once again is available as a 5-door hatchback, one of my favorite body styles due the overall versatility. There is a Rio sedan, but it’s neither as stylish nor as convenient as the hatch.

While the exterior design is pretty good (initially conceived at Kia’s studio right here in Southern California), it’s what lies beneath the surface that elevates the Rio to top-tier status in the affordable car segment. Notably the engine, with its fuel-sipping abilities, and the interior, which never makes you feel as though you bought a “cheap” car.

Under the hood you’ll find Kia’s 1.6 liter GDI engine, the addendum being an acronym for gasoline direct injection. This little trick is finding widespread use from many car makers as a way to maximize the efficiency of fuel delivery to the engine for a few extra miles per gallon. In the case of the 2012 Rio, the official numbers are 30 city and 40 highway, with either the 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission.

Though it makes just 138 horsepower, the little hatchback has plenty of get-up-and-go for normal driving. The engine is smooth and quiet, two attributes that formerly only came from the likes of Honda and Toyota. Further technology lets the engine shut off during certain conditions (like at stop lights) for a bit of extra fuel savings.

Moving to the interior, a nice rich combination of shapes and textures greet the driver and passengers. I tested a top-of-the-line SX model, which includes a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. Small things, yes, but touches that help elevate this car to a level just above common compact car fare.

And then there’s the cargo hold provided by the hatch. Even with the rear seat up, there’s an impressive amount of luggage space. Fold down the seats and you’ve got room to carry a whole lot of stuff. Passenger comfort and room are also first rate, with ample headroom for taller drivers.

Kia also managed to make a hatchback car pretty handsome, which isn’t always easy to do. The proportions and body lines are just right, and at first glance you might not necessarily realize you’re looking at a hatchback. (That also may be more to the point of all cars these days seemingly having “humped” rear sections, even if they have a conventional trunk.)

You can get a base 2012 Rio LX for $13,600, or $14,700 if you want the automatic transmission. For that price you get a fair number of amenities, including side curtain airbags and electronic stability control. Stepping up to the EX grade means the automatic is standard, and you get remote locking and an extra splash of chrome at the front for $16,500. For the most loaded and handsome Rio, choose the SX trim, which starts at $17,700 and includes things like a color back-up camera and gorgeous 17” aluminum wheels.

There was a time when you’d buy an entry-level car and might have felt as though you were “roughing it” a bit. There was also a time when if you chose a Kia as your new car, you were sacrificing style and quality in order to save a few bucks. As this 2012 Rio showed me, neither of those things are true anymore.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz

2012 Porsche Panamera S Hybrid.

“Porsche makes a hybrid?” asked the man who saw the car in the parking lot just as I unlocked the doors. “They actually make two of them,” was my reply. He was walking from his late model Volvo into a store, smiling and shaking his head at the same time.

He’d seen the badges on the back of the Panamera S Hybrid, with the word “hybrid” even done in Porsche’s famous script font. He’s probably not alone, a bit surprised that a company known for high-performance street and racing cars would have hybrids in its lineup.

The gas-electric Panamera joins the Cayenne Hybrid in Porsche showrooms, giving buyers two ways to have both a performance car and a green-ish car all in one. Their drive systems are identical, since both large vehicles share the same platform. The Panamera is in many ways a Cayenne with a lower roofline and a bit less utility.

But why a hybrid Porsche? Well, several reasons. First, every car company has to find ways to reduce the fuel consumption and carbon output of its vehicles. Secondly, buyers of high-end cars often don’t mind paying a premium for advanced technology. And finally, despite the common misconception, not every hybrid has to be a boring car that’s not much fun to drive.

A lot depends on how the hybrid system is designed to work. For most small hybrid cars that seek maximum efficiency, a continuously variable transmission is employed in order to smooth out the transition from gasoline mode to electric and back. But Porsche developed a hybrid transmission that connects directly to everything for better throttle response.

The other advantage to this system is that the engine can be completely de-coupled from the transmission in order to shut off at amazingly high speeds. If you’re going downhill on a freeway, like let’s say the Sepulveda Pass, you’ll see the tachometer drop down to 0. The engine is off, the rest of everything is powered by electricity in the hybrid battery, and fuel isn’t being consumed. You can also glide along at light throttle in certain freeway situations with the engine still off and the electric motor propelling the vehicle.

The payoff is EPA mileage ratings of 22 city and 30 highway with a combined number of 25. Compare that to the conventional Panamera S’s figures of 16 and 24 and you can see that over the course of a year, the efficiency can add up. (Of course the hybrid version costs more, but for buyers in this segment it’s not necessarily about money.)

And there’s no penalty in performance to speak of. Porsche decided to include the “S” in the model name Panamera S Hybrid because the power output and performance is comparable to the conventional S version of the car. The supercharged V6 engine and electric motor combine to produce 385 horsepower and a claimed top speed of 167 miles per hour.

Overall, the Panamera has done very well for the company. Early reviews praised the car’s performance, but often pointed out its somewhat dowdy looks. But in person, it’s actually a handsome car from most angles, especially in darker colors. (The Panamera S Hybrid I tested wore a shade of brownish-gray called Carbon Metallic, set off by a deep burgundy interior.) Sales of Panameras have so far exceeded the company’s expectations.

This is also a very practical car. It’s “only” a four-seater, but each of those seats has room for a full-size adult and then some. So many cars that claim to seat three in the back have far less room for two than the Panamera. A big bonus is the hatch at the rear, which opens up to a fairly large cargo hold.

So yes, Porsche is now in the hybrid game. You’ll have to fork over at least $95,000 (base price) for a Panamera S Hybrid. But as a hybrid, a performance car, and most importantly a true Porsche, it does very well.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz

2012 Dodge Grand Caravan R/T.

I’ve always thought that if a car company stepped up and offered a truly sporty minivan, they’d have secured a niche in the market with guys who don’t want to feel as though they’re driving something boring and too “family-ish.”

Minivans are absolutely the most practical vehicles on the road today. They ride like cars, are easy to get in and out of, can carry tons of cargo with all the seats out of the way, lots of passengers with the seats up, and have many cool features.

But men, well, many of them have egos to deal with. They revel in being fathers, taking their children to sports events and so on. But when it comes to being seen in on the road, they’d rather appear single and still attractive to the opposite sex. A minivan can ruin that persona.

A number of years ago, Chrysler created a concept Dodge Caravan for the show circuit with the sub-name R/T. (The R/T name goes back to the muscle car glory days.) It was bright red, wore nice custom wheels, and even had seats and hood vents right off the Dodge Viper. Although it got positive reviews, it was never put into production.

Then about a year ago, my radio co-host went to a Chrysler event in Northern California where new models were shown off. Among them was a special Dodge Grand Caravan that was dubbed “The Man Van.” It sat on lowered springs, had trick wheels with low-profile tires, and looked especially macho in all black. That was supposedly a precursor to the Grand Caravan R/T that would be a production model for 2012.

Recently, I finally got a turn in the production Grand Caravan R/T. Uh-oh; I guess the plan for the manly van never quite played out as promised. Instead of something truly cool looking, R/T became essentially a trim package and not much else.

The first things that disappointed my eyes were the wheels. Not racy or sporty, just some generic-looking 17” aluminum rims painted a shade of dark grey. I was expecting something much more appealing. There is also nothing special about the front. No deep spoiler or special grill, though the regular one is color-keyed to the body on the R/T instead of chromed. There are also small round fog lights under the bumper, but again, they’re no big deal.

Chassis-wise, the suspension is specific to the R/T, but it’s not like everyone’s going to scream “Wow, this is one great handling minivan!” the first time they drive through a curve. I suspect that Chrysler just substituted the springs from the VW Routan, which is made by them for Volkswagen.

There is great power under the hood in the form of the company’s new Pentastar 3.6 liter V6. You have 283 smooth horsepower ready for accelerating or passing, passing through a well-done 6-speed automatic transmission. But both those come on any new Grand Caravan or Chrysler Town and Country.

Slight changes inside the van, but they’re really just top-of-the-line instead of something performance-oriented. Black leather bucket seats have subtle red stitching, and the front passenger gets power adjustment. Some items like the very functional Super Console become standard with this one, instead of optional as on the lower-priced Grand Caravans.

The R/T van is not without its upsides, for sure. The second and third row seats can be folded into the floor instead of needing to be removed, and the power sliding doors and rear hatch can all be opened or closed via the remote fob. And even with all the seats up, there’s a very large cargo hold in the rear.

I’m not going to hold my breath that there will be an update of the Grand Caravan R/T to add even more sportiness, because 2012 will be the last model year for the Dodge van, as the company has decided that only the Chrysler brand will have minivans in the future to reduce duplication.

So while the Grand Caravan R/T is somewhat sporty, I still imagine what could have been if they’d followed through on their original idea.

I’ll see you down the road.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7 and can be heard on “The Car Show” Saturdays at 9 a.m. on KPFK, 90.7 FM. E-mail Dave at TVCarz @ pacbell.net Twitter: @dave_kunz