Cadenza -- a Whole New Kind of Kia

If you've been following Kia over the last 20 years, you remember those first cars. I tested a 1994 Sephia and it was pretty basic. It had everything you needed but absolutely nothing extra. It felt like a knock-off previous-generation Toyota Corolla. However, unlike the Hyundai Excel a decade earlier, it wasn't really bad. It was just plain.

Well, of course, we all know the story. Over the years, Kia's models not only proliferated but improved significantly with each generation. Now, it's time for Kia to introduce their "Lexus." It's called the Cadenza, and a fine flagship it is.

There's no compromise here. There is exactly one model -- Premium. It's big and it's beautiful. And, it's full of all the good stuff -- standard. You get a navigation system and a 550-watt Infinity stereo with 12 speakers, including subwoofer. You sit on leather seats and hold a beautiful leather and wood wheel, bask in full climate control, and much more.

1994 Kia Sephia

The Cadenza is motivated by a 3.3-liter V6 that puts out 293 horsepower and 255 lb.-ft. of torque under the shapely hood, all driven through a six-speed automatic with SportMatic manual paddle shifters. Yet, it drinks regular gas. The EPA gives it ratings of 19 City, 28 Highway, and 22 Combined. I averaged 19.5 mpg. The EPA Green scores are 5 for Smog and Greenhouse Gas -- midpack.

It's a great thing that Peter Schreyer, the former Audi designer, is in charge of how Kias look. When I parked my Smokey Blue Cadenza test car next to my wife's Liquid Blue Metallic Audi, you could see some similarities. The proportions are just right, neither boring nor overstyled. While the German brands today are abandoning their formerly conservative, handsome look for something more exuberant, the Cadenza wears the look of a classic BMW, Audi or Mercedes. It looks expensive.

Inside, the car lives up to its impressive body, with the right look and feel. The heated steering wheel has the top third of wood, the rest leather. It's always fun to turn a steering wheel and have a different-feeling handful. It is definitely a luxury touch. Everything is there, including an illuminated console bin, sumptuous leather seating, and the perfect blend of textures and materials.

My tester featured both of the two available option packages. In case the standard amenities aren't enough for you, order the Technology Package and get Advanced Smart Cruise Control, where you can follow the car in front at a set distance (and automatically slow down when that driver does). You also get Blind Spot Detection, a popular feature that probably prevents hundreds of accidents every day. This package includes "Hydrophobic" front door windows, which stay clear when the rain hits them. I wasn't able to test that feature, thanks to some fine late summer weather.

The Luxury Package fills in what the standard package lacks. Get a panoramic sunroof, upgraded leather trim, a ventilated driver's seat with electric seat cushion extension, and an electric rear sunshade. The Supervision meter cluster performs a little light show when you turn on the car. The number dividers for the speedometer shoot out from the center of the gauge and assemble along the ring of the meter. I never got tired of watching the show. An image of the car winks its headlamps at you, as if to say "Hi." There's a little musical tune, too.

It wouldn't be a great car if after all that equipment, it was a bore to drive. Luckily, it's not. The 3,668-pound car drives like it's lighter, yet sails happily along the freeway in cruise mode. The sport-tuned suspension, along with the 19-inch wheels and tires from the Technology Package made the car feel planted and ready for anything.

My car, as a benefit of containing these packages, had the optional white leather interior and no extra cost. You don't see those every day, and I'm sure you'd want to take care with it, but it illuminated the cabin and felt very posh.

With the packages, this car really has everything you could want. I was sure there must be some flaw, and I did find one tiny problem. I set the otherwise divine audio system to NOT change volume with road speed, but it insisted on doing it anyway, so I worked the knob a bit when commute traffic speed varied. But that's it.

The price is $35,900, including shipping, for the single model. Add in the two packages and you'll be at $41,900. That may be the only problem the Cadenza will have to solve. Are there enough buyers for a $42,000 Kia? I think if enough people actually sample the car, after their disbelief fades they may see their way to signing some papers and participating in the remarkable Kia success story.

Hyundai Santa Fe - New, and Now, Two

In the car business, part of what makes you successful is good product. The other part is good marketing.

In Hyundai's case, they seem to be doing well at both. The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe is a major update of an important model--in a significant segment. But their marketing is what will help move more metal.

There are now two Santa Fe's -- the midsize crossover SUV is now called the Santa Fe Sport. It has two rows of seating and uses four-cylinder engines. The longer model with three-row seating now sold as just "Santa Fe" used to be called the Veracruz. Remember it? Didn't think so. Hyundai is leveraging brand recognition for it's more popular model, which, like the compact Tucson crossover, is named after a Southwestern city and is helping the company to sales growth year after year.

The Santa Fe is handsome, wearing the Fluidic Sculpture design that has been so successful in its sedans. It has a prominent, chrome grille up front, as today's vehicles must possess. The lines and folds along the side appeal to the eye and give the body the solid appearance of an iron bar, not an inflated balloon. The 19-inch alloy wheels added road presence.

Hyundai vehicles, when they first came to America, were obviously not on the level of Toyotas and Hondas, and were certainly not in the ballpark with European luxury vehicles. Today, many Hyundais are built in the U.S. (although this Santa Fe was imported from Korea) and have a look and feel that equals, or even surpasses, those brands. While Honda was cost-cutting a couple of years ago, Hyundai was offering nicer and nicer interiors. Now, the appealing materials, high build quality and sophisticated design are part of what you get when you slide into any Hyundai vehicle. Even the subcompact Accent is a well-turned-out car.

Like SUVS have been for decades, the Santa Fe stands tall, but it's a crossover. That means it's built on a car platform and has a long, slanting windshield, so the driving experience is more like a tall car than driving a pickup truck with room for 7, as the original Ford Explorer was, for example. This is the norm today.

My Circuit Gray tester was the upper level Limited model. The GLS is the regular grade. Many of these crossovers today are only front-wheel-drive, since so few actually go offroad. My car was one of them, although you can certainly order one with power that  flows to all four wheels if you live in areas where it would be a benefit in the wintertime. In Northern California, it's not an issue. The Hyundai all-wheel-drive system is called Active Cornering AWD, which distributes the torque through a computer program to keep you safely on the road.

Hyundais have offered lots of features for the money over the years, and features like Driver-Selectable Steering Mode give a nod to Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover. A button on the steering wheel lets you select Comfort, Normal and Sport modes. It changes your driving experience. Comfort might be handy when driving around in town or parking. Normal is fine in all cases, especially on the highway. Sport tightens up everything for more fun on country roads.

While the lighter Santa Fe Sport does just fine with a 2.4-liter or 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine, the Santa Fe gets a 3.3-liter V6, which puts out a generous 290 horsepower and 252 lb.-ft. of torque through a six-speed automatic. That's comparable horsepower with other midsize crossovers, which tend to offer slightly larger displacement, such as 3.5-liters. The Santa Fe is a little bit lighter than its rivals, and this helps to get it EPA ratings of 18 City, 25 Highway (21 Combined). My actual mileage was 22.7 mpg. The EPA's green scores are a 5 for Smog and Greenhouse Gas - dead center.

The two-ton Santa Fe, more than 300 pounds lighter than its Veracruz predecessor, moves with alacrity on the highway and gets around town just fine. There's a place in my neighborhood where you have to turn onto a street that immediately climbs up sharply, with a right and left turn, and the Santa Fe felt happy there, not swaying back and forth, with plenty of energy to make the climb without downshifting. Perhaps its Vehicle Stability Management helps in that feeling in control in those circumstances.

My tester sweetened the deal with the Technology Package ($2,900). That added an enormous panoramic sunroof, with glass along nearly the entire roof, with the front half sliding open. It also included a navigation system--something almost essential these days. It also provided me with an Infinity Logic 7 550-watt Surround Sound audio system that was entertaining during my commute drudgery. A heated steering wheel was there, too, but it being September at the time of my test, it went unused.

Choices are simple--GLS or Limited and front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Or, opt for the Santa Fe Sport for lower cost and better fuel economy, if you won't need that third row seat, the extra 10 cubic feet of cargo capacity, or the Santa Fe's 5,000 pound towing ability (it's 3,500 lb. with the Sport--and both require trailer brakes).

The GLS starts at $29,455 and the Limited at $34,205 (both including shipping). My tester, with the technology package, came to $36,980. So don't think "Hyundai" and "cheap" in the same sentence any more. That's competitive pricing, but not lower than rival vehicles. Today, Hyundai competes as an equal, so you have to decide if you like the look, feel, performance, features, and, that great warranty.

See my video review here.

Hyundai Elantra Coupe Adds Style to a Favorite

Years ago, Hyundai vehicles were decent transportation devices but didn't quite measure up to the more established brands, such as Toyota and Honda. Their styling was boring or derivative -- or both! But since the Fluidic Sculpture look arrived a few years ago, Hyundais are cool.

The Elantra sedan got hit with the beauty stick for 2011. Since then, it has won awards and generally spread itself all over American highways. Today, you can get a five-door GT model and the new two-door Elantra Coupe. I just tested an Atlantic Blue sample.

The market for compact sedans is heating up and is brutally competitive, so Hyundai has chosen to distinguish itself. For one thing, it looks sharp. The flowing creases on Hyundais are almost enough to make you seasick if you study them for too long, but the point is, the cars look very good and also not like anything else. The six-sided mouth looks like it was designed specifically to eat up the competition.

My wife commented that she "could see the clay," meaning the models produced in the styling studios. The wavy lines and dramatic curves would be fun to carve into the models. I assured her that the folks in the studios use computer-aided design today, but I see her point. 

The Elantra Coupe is roomier than its competitors, moving slightly into the midsize category, leaving the others in the compact dust. A few cubic feet more makes more room for passengers and an overall better experience.

You can get an Elantra Coupe in the GS or SE model. The SE, of course, is sportier, looking especially so in the coupe format. The SE wears 17-inch alloys in place of the GS's 16's.

Every Elantra Coupe comes with the same proven engine as in the sedan -- a 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder with 148 horsepower and 131 lb.-ft. of torque. In California, Oregon, and a few other enlightened places, you can get a PZEV (extra clean) version of the SE. The PZEV version loses three horsepower and 1 lb.-ft. of torque, but it gets a 9 in both Greenhouse Gas and Smog scores from the EPA, while earning official mileage scores of 27 City, 37 Highway, and 31 Combined. I got less.

The fuel economy gauge in my test car reset after each fillup, so I got 24.5 mpg on the first tank, and, with a few non-commute longer freeway trips, 28.4 on the second tank. These numbers are not the absolute best around, but are darned close.

The engine, combined with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic, is a good match for the approximately 2,700-pound coupe. I would have liked to sample the manual, but the automatic did what automatics these days do--move the car along quickly with no fuss. Today's technology is probably a whole lot smarter than we are, anyway.

Hyundai has stylish exteriors, but it's inside where you really can sense that something has happened. The detailing is exquisite, considering the price point. Seams match. Surfaces are interesting and varied. The chrome trim over silver on the controls is elegant. The pinch of the dash where it meets the center console is dramatic and allows for slim storage pockets along the console. Only the SE gets aluminum pedal covers.

Hyundai also knows its seats now. I took two drives on Saturday that took me way out in different directions for events, and I never got sore or still sitting there. The seats are a bit more bolstered than the ones in the sedan, for sportiness, but also to hold you in place en route. The seats are heated in all Elantra Coupes.

Every Elantra Coupe comes with an audio system. The standard 172-watt system includes Satellite RAdio and a USB port for your iPod. The optional one nearly doubles the wattage to 360 and adds an external amplifier.

My tester, as an SE PZEV with automatic transmission, was at the top of the price chart. It's base price of $20,745 rose about 10 percent with the Technology Package ($2,300). It includes a navigation system with a seven-inch color screen and the optional audio system, passive entry with pushbutton start, and automatic headlamps. Total price out-the-door was $23,965. The base car, a GS with manual, starts at $18,375.

What a fun way to be frugal without being boring or bored.

Kia Forte - Another Advance for Compact Korean Cars

The folks at Kia have done as promised, and updated all their cars over a short period of time. The latest newcomer is the third-generation 2014  Forte, filling the compact role between the smaller Rio and larger Optima.

Competing in the compact sedan market is a real challenge, battling longtime leaders such as the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, but this new Forte seems well equipped for a good fight.

Designed in Kia's Irvine, California design studio (but built in Korea), the new car has an energy and excitement about it -- always welcome in a segment where affordability and practicality are often the main purchase considerations As I've said about other new Kias, the products all benefit from the enlightened design sense of Kia's chief, Peter Schreyer, best known for his beautiful Audi designs. There's no reason not to make every car look good.

To make it simple, there are two choices -- LX and EX -- and each has its own engine. The LX uses a 1.8-liter inline four that puts out a respectable 148 horsepower and `131 lb.-ft. of torque. You can get it with either a manual or automatic six-speed transmission. The EX, like my Abyss Blue test vehicle, comes only with the larger 2.0-liter four with 173 horsepower and 154 lb.-ft. of torque. With only an additional 76 pounds between the two cars, the EX is significantly more sprightly.

Driving on freeways and in town, the Forte is hard to fault. It now uses electric instead of hydraulic power steering, but there's still plenty of feel in turns and the car feels solidly on center. The shifts are easy and smooth, and with the Sportmatic setting you can select your own gears if you'd like to feel racier. I would like to sample the manual-equipped car for comparison. The suspension absorbs normal bumps well and there's little squat or dive during braking or acceleration.

I look forward to sampling the five-door version of the Forte, coming out this fall, that offers a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine with 201 horsepower and 195 lb.-ft. of torque -- and a choice of the six speed manual or automatic. With its extra carrying capacity, the five-door could be ideal for many buyers (including me).

The EPA rates the EX sedan (automatic only) at 28 mpg combined (24 City, 36 Highway). Kia ran into some issues over erroneous reporting of fuel economy test scores last year, but these numbers bear out. I averaged 31.8 mpg over a busy week -- beating the EPA. Green scores show a 5 for Smog and a nice 7 on Greenhouse Gas.

As a driver, you spend most of your time inside the car and not outside, so an appealing interior really does matter. This one, considering its market position and price, is a remarkable piece of work. I am coming to the conclusion that Kia, the sibling of Hyundai, is aiming at the Volkswagen/European car buyer while Hyundai is chasing the Japanese car intender. The feel of the design and materials inside the Forte is more subtle and angular than the Hyundai -- less curvy and more sophisticated. The low-gloss plastics don't look cheap, and there is actual padding where you might not expect it.

The dash and doors are scalloped, giving a sense of motion and also of radiating waves. The only thing I've seen like it is the somewhat wacky but amusing interior of the Nissan Cube. The console offers a roll-top compartment perfect for stashing your iPod (and the USB port is right there ready for it). Chrome accents are not overdone and do succeed in moving the feel above utilitarian. Pseudo carbon fiber trim is preferable to fake wood, I guess.

The Forte comes pretty well equipped, with such things as power windows, mirrors and locks and Bluetooth. There are even heated outside mirrors. You can add to it, though. My EX came with the Premium and Technology packages. For an extra $4,900, you get a power sunroof, leather seats (front heated), dual-zone climate control, a navigation system, sharp-looking Supervision gauges, and a whole lot more. The 160-mph speedometer is wildly optimistic, but it seems that all cars are scoping their gauges this way these days.

You can make the Forte a more expensive proposition with the added packages. Mine, with shipping ($800), came to $25,515. Is that a lot for a compact car? Maybe not anymore. The LX starts at  an easier-to-swallow $16,700.

This is a happy story of a nice little car that is helping Kia grow year after year. Their generous warranty and increasingly attractive models have given more buyers a feeling of security about buying the cars and taking them home.

Kia Sorento - Clever Crossover Edges Closer to Audi

I recently spent a week with the heavily updated Kia Sorento crossover. Kia, one of the automotive success stories in the last several years, has given its five-passenger people and cargo hauler a thorough update.

The side body panels of the tall hauler look about the same as before, but the front and rear are updated. Kia is taking full advantage of the fact that its leader, Peter Schreyer, is the former head of Audi design. These cars, which not long ago looked like weak copies of mainstream Toyotas and Hondas, now have their own sophisticated look and feel. Up front, the tiger-nose grille (squeezed in the middle) has taken on a new smilier appearance as part of a sweep that includes the light pods. The lower panel shows another air intake and vertical fog lamps (if so equipped). The taillamps use LEDs so they glow prettily at night.

The interior is reshaped to accommodate a large eight-inch (diagonal) information screen. It displays a wealth of information, as expected in today's information-rich mobile environment. Kia calls it UVO, a "new generation of infotainment and telematics." Yes, you can talk to it and connect your devices at will.

Materials look substantial, despite some implausible wood trim. The convex curves on the dash give it a substantial feel, and the matte surfaces and satin silver trim convey poshness. There is subtle illumination along the door trim that is a surprise.

As before, there are three ascending levels -- LX, EX and SX -- names that sound the same as those for many other brands. The new SX Limited model is just coming out. It offers upscale amenities hardly imaginable in Kias of yore--such things as 19-inch chrome alloy wheels with jaunty red brake calipers outside and Nappa leather seats and a wood-trimmed steering wheel inside. Unlike Toyota, Nissan or Honda, Kia (and sister brand Hyundai) are not creating a a separate upscale brand, but are giving buyers a chance to acquire a super-fully-loaded version of an existing vehicle.

My Wave Blue test car was a mid-range EX model, with all-wheel drive. This system, like most on the market, is not for offroading but for safer on-roading, and works completely automatically. In the warm, dry week of my test it was not called to duty, as far as I could tell.

You can select two engines, depending on model, for the Sorento. There's a 2.4-liter. 191-horsepower inline four-cylinder or a new 3.3-liter direct injection V6. My tester had the V6, and with 290 horsepower and 252 lb.-ft. of torque on tap, it propelled the Sorento along seemingly effortlessly. The new electrically-powered steering is lighter and more efficient than the old hydraulic unit, and provides plenty of road feel.

Of course, when you boost engine size and power you step away a bit from fuel economy. My tester was rated at 20 mpg combined by the EPA (18 City, 24 Highway). I averaged 21.5 mpg on my commute traffic-heavy week of driving. The environmental ratings are 5 for Greenhouse Gas and Smog--dead center.

This Korean vehicle is manufactured in West Point, Georgia, alongside the Optima sedan. It's got 50 percent American parts, and the plant and its suppliers supply about 10,000 jobs. This continues to blur the line between American and "foreign" companies.

Having tested many Kias, including three recently, I continue to be amazed at the quality and driving enjoyment they provide, regardless of whether it's the compact Rio sedan or this five-passenger shuttle. The four colleagues I took to lunch in the Sorento had no complaints, and the road feel, steering response, and supple suspension made driving the car alone a very satisfying experience.

Kias are not cheap anymore. This one had a base price of $31,700, and on top of that, the $4,000 Touring Package added a host of desirable features, including a huge panoramic sunnroof, navigation system, Infinity audio system, blind-spot detection, power folding mirrors and liftgate. They even enhanced the driver's seat with ventilation in addition to the heat. Bottom line: $36,550. These cars are becoming Audis in more than just their design!

Kia Rio - Complete Sedan on a Small Scale

Kia has had 17 straight years of annual growth--an amazing record. Coming from nowhere (well, Korea actually), the expanding range of attractive and high-quality vehicles is one of the industry's success stores of the last several years of angst.

The Rio is Kia's entry-level car, but it is hardly plain or spartan. You can choose a five-door hatchback or a four-door sedan depending on your needs, and pick the entry LX, midrange EX or top SX level. I recently tested the SX sedan, and I drove the 2012 SX hatchback last year. My sedan tester, in Signal Red paint, got another upgrade, with the Premium Package, available only on the SX. Imagine, in the smallest car in the lineup, leather seats--heated in front--, power sunroof, push botton start with a smart key, and a well-equipped navigation system. It's mind-boggling how much Kia packs into the little car.

I call it little, but driving around in it is anything but confining. The 101.2-inch wheelbase helps make this smallest of Kias a compact, not a subcompact, ride. The trunk holds almost 14 cubic feet, which was plenty for groceries and bass amplifiers. The rear seats have room for real people, too. There isn't any feeling of sacrifice driving it.

The standard and only engine is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that puts out 138 horsepower. You can order a  manual six-speed in the LX level only. The SX offers paddle shifters on the steering column, just like the expensive cars, for a higher entertainment value. I only used them for a minute and they work fine, but it's not the same as driving a true manual. In this case, the manual is on the LX, I think, to allow Kia to offer a car at a lower price point. Most American buyers won't go for it.

The Rio is the first non-hybrid vehicle outside the luxury segment to offer Idle Stop and Go (ISG) technology. I recently experienced this in a $120,000 BMW, and it's normal for cars like the Toyota Prius. The technology turns off the engine at stoplights, restarting automatically when the driver releases the brake. It can be disconcerting if you don't know it's there, but it saves gas.

The EPA gives the Rio with automatic economy ratings of 28 City, 36 Highway, 31 Combined. I averaged around 26 mpg. It was hard to run a long-term number since the car resets the fuel economy gauge with each gas fill-up, and you need to do these often as the tank is pretty small.

The car moves along fine in traffic, but if you need to accelerate on an incline, you'll hear the automatic downshift, and a lot more sound will emanate from beneath the hood. I was able to keep up with traffic under these conditions but not accelerate significantly. That's one place where the entry role of the Rio is apparent.

The interior, however, does not give an entry-level appearance. The materials are good and fit together well. There is some metallic-looking trim, and in the SX, you get metal pedals--a very sporty-looking feature. The steering wheel tilts and telescopes. In the attractive gauges, including a 140-mph speedometer, the needles do a dramatic sweep across their faces when you start up the car.

The seats are firm and flat, but I got used to them. The seat heaters work well. Placing your hands on a leather wheel and shift knob in this size and level of car truly upgrades the experience.

Price? The LX with manual transmission starts at just $14,400. The SX begins at $18,500. My test car, though, with the Premium Package and a couple of other small items, came to $21,340. Is that a lot for Kia's entry-level car? Considering the comfort, utility, perceived quality and attractive looks, it could be a deal. And don't forget about that 10-year, 100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty.

Hyundai Elantra GT - The Right Recipe

The Elantra GT is another example of Hyundai's successful approach to marketing cars in the United States (and presumably, elsewhere). Each time they introduce the next generation of a model, it's notably better than the previous one.

The GT is the third model of Hyundai's compact Elantra lineup. The Elantra now comes as not only a four-door sedan but a two-door coupe, and the GT takes the place of the previous Touring model, which was more a station wagon design.

The GT, like other Elantras, now flaunts the swoopy lines that are part of the company's "Fluidic Sculpture" design motif. This dramatic look has helped make the midsize Sonata a huge success, and has given more charm to the modest Accent and other new Hyundais, including the Tucson and Santa Fe crossovers.

The car is very much in the thick of the marketplace, with plenty of competition. And Hyundai's information packet is eager to compare its new five-door hatch to others. These include the Toyota Matrix, Mazda3, Ford Focus, Subaru Impreza and Volkswagen Golf. Interestingly, in pretty much every category, the car is equal or better than the others. And that's really the point--this Korean brand wants to be seen as a direct competitor to the mainstream companies--not a bargain version. I think we've seen Hyundai and it's sister brand, Kia, achieve parity in the latest generation of its products.

The GT, despite a name that sounds like it could be on a Ford Mustang V8 or even an Italian exotic sports car, is a five-door hatchback. But that's just fine. It offers more interior space than most of its competitors (at least last year's versions) and is lighter than the others, at 2,784 pounds. That means that its 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, one of the smaller ones of the aforementioned comparative vehicles, gets the most power per liter of displacement (82.2). The GT is at least 100 pounds lighter than the other cars, thanks to greater use of high tensile steel among other things.

The 1.8 liter engine puts out 148 horsepower and 131 lb.-ft. of torque--at the smaller end of the field, but still enough to permit some spirited driving. My Black Noir Pearl tester had the six-speed automatic, but a six-speed manual is also available, and I expect would be even more fun.

Fuel economy figures are class-competitive, at 27 City, 37 Highway (30 Combined) for the automatic version. The EPA numbers are very good--Elantras have been near the top of the list for a while now. For cars sold in California, the Smog score is 6 and the Greenhouse Gas number is 8. There's a PZEV version of the automatic version that gets a 9 for its smog score. Those are hybrid level numbers. All Elantras get SmartWay designation from the EPA.

Like most cars of its category, the Elantra GT employs MacPherson struts up front with coil springs and gas shock absorbers, and torsion beam and monotube struts in back. Compared to the sedan version, the GT's higher spring rates and other tuning give it a more athletic performance. The GT's optional 17-inch wheels impart a sportier look and receive special sport tuning to dial in even more of the fun factor.

Like all the new Hyundais, the high-energy personality isn't reserved for just the body styling. The interior is lively, with exuberant swirls along the dash and doors. The door-mounted window controls are at a 45-degree angle, for example, not on the straight horizontal. Shiny trim and handsome double gauges give a surprisingly upscale appearance. I was impressed that the fully featured audio system displayed the entire artist name and song title. Some more expensive cars I've tested don't.

The Elantra is not an expensive car, but you can boost its price by about 25 percent by adding the Style and Tech packages. My tester had them. The Style package adds the 17-inch wheels and sport suspension, as well as a panoramic sunroof and leather seats, steering wheel and shift knob. The driver's seat has power adjustments, including lumbar. You get racy looking aluminum pedals, too, and the convenience of an automatic-up driver's side window (handy for sprinting away from toll booths).

The Tech package adds a navigation system, something that's nearly as common today as a radio was a generation ago. You also get dual automatic temperature control, keyless entry and a neat hidden rearview camera.

The car's versatility, with folding seats and handy rear hatch, make it a good choice for active lifestyles and small families looking for economy without boredom.

Prices start at $19,160 for the manual-equipped model. Add in the automatic transmission, the Style package ($2,750) and Tech package $2,350) and you get my tester, at $25,365 (including floormats). All prices shown include shipping.

The Elantra GT blows away the old Touring wagon, which was a nice little car but didn't have much pizazz. With the looks and youthful driving personality, it should continue to boost the brand. You can get one for barely more than a commute mobile or spice it up and have a real hot hatch.

Hyundai Azera - The Korean "Avalon"

With the Azera, Hyundai has completed its 24/7 2.0 program. That means they delivered on their promise to bring out seven new or revised vehicles in just 24 months. Pretty darned amazing. The Azera takes off from the popular midsize Sonata and offers a little more room, power and style (and price, of course).

It's hard to remember sometimes where Hyundai was years ago. Odd, derivative, cramped, funny-smelling little transportation modules. But for the last, say, decade, things have really turned around. This new, second-generation Azera sedan offers a long list of standard features, enormous full-size accommodations inside, and, with another take on Hyundai's "Fluidic Sculpture" design template, head-turning style.

The car comes only as a sedan and with just one engine--a 3.3-liter V6, with 293 horsepower and 255 lb.-ft. of torque. That may be because it not only fits in size between the midsize Sonata and the luxury Genesis sedan, it reserves the four-cylinder engine for the Sonata and two V8s for the Genesis.

Despite its large-midsize proportions, the Azera gets decent mileage. The EPA says 20 City, 28 Highway, with an average of 23. I got 21.9 mph--still reasonable. Environmentally, the car rates 6 for Air Pollution and 5 for Greenhouse Gas - right in the middle. 

The Azera's body is attractive and energetic looking. The customer for this type of car isn't really looking to make a powerfully unique statement, but he or she does want to look up-to-date, and the car has all the right touches. The grille is chrome and prominent. The folds along the body sides are just like you'd find on an Infiniti or even a BMW. The headlamps and taillamps are chock full of jewelry. Hard to believe that not long ago the illuminated parts of cars were plain plastic bars.

Inside, it's a swirl of silvery trim--typical for today, but quite nicely laid out. The only place it looked a little busy was at the windshield pillars, where vents and seams seemed a little forced. At night, the gauges glow brightly and a slim line snakes across the dash and doors. The firm but comfortably padded seats are nice to look at too. Both driver and passenger get numerous get adjustment options--and the controls are right where Mercedes put them--on the door. You could select three levels of heating--and of cooling--for the seats in my tester.

Speaking of seats, Hyundai engineers have developed an impact-reducing seat system for the Azera. It eliminates the need for active front head restraints and is expected to reduce head and neck injuries by 17 percent over the front seats in the previous generation car.

All Azeras come with touch-screen navigation with backup camera standard. No other car in the segment offers this as standard equipment.

Prices begin at $32,000 more or less. That's in the range for cars like this.

My tester came with the Technology Package, for an additional $4,000. For that sizable investment you get 19-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, HID Xenon headlights, power rear sunshade, manual side window sunshades and the potent Infinity 12-speaker Logic7 audio system with subwoofer and external amplifier. There are several other comfort and convenience features included, too.  

I was impressed by the feel of the Azera on the road. It was smooth, quiet, and had an upscale feeling that Hyundai has figured out how to provide. The Genesis, you expect to be that way, but the Azera has it too, for an affordable price. Good work, Hyundai!

Kia Soul - Thinking Inside and Outside the Box

The Kia Soul is a tasty flavor of cube-shaped vehicle that you can buy today. You may already be familiar with the Scion xB, which started this whole box-shaped car segment about a decade ago. Then, there was Honda's Element, a little larger, but still the same idea. The Nissan Cube came along too, in a rounded, fanciful, asymmetrical interpretation.

The idea is that some folks don't care if the car is sexy and swoopy--they want a practical ride that hauls people and stuff, and want to be straightforward and non-nonsense. The original Scion xB (called the bB in Japan) was a youthful fashion statement, and over in the U.S. it became a favorite for tuners and custom shops to play with.

The Soul seems to do the best job, it appears at this writing, of getting the recipe right. The xB has become bloated and uncute in its second generation, and the Cube is, well, kind of wacky. I love the Cube myself, with its strange carpet on the dash, single side wrap-around rear window, and water-in-the-lake ceiling shape. But the Kia is more balanced.

The body is overtly boxy, but also has a wedge quality, looking alert, active and even a little macho. It comes in unique colors, such as Molten (like my tester), Dune and Alien Green. The face wears the Kia tiger-nose (pinched in the middle) grille, and the front light pods are fascinatingly complex. The oversize taillamps in back are chunky and look unlike anything else on the road.

It is quite roomy inside, with a clear view out and more of the tough attitude of the exterior. As Kia has matured (and acquired Audi's former chief designer, Peter Schreyer), the look and feel of its cars has been upgraded significantly. The inside feels crafted, with appealing soft-touch surfaces, in shapes that look substantial but not bulky. There's enthusiasm without overexuberance, so you notice and appreciate the look and feel of the car without having your attention drawn to any odd angle or texture. The instrument panel feels like something from a sports car, but the rest of the car is more of a tall upscale sedan.

The Soul comes as a four-door hatchback only, in three ascending levels: Soul, Soul + and Soul ! (exclaim). My tester, as a top level !  model, had, thanks to the Premium Package, surprisingly luxurious two-tone leather seating among other fine features. Typical of Kias since the beginning, there is a long list of standard equipment--no strippers, but you do get benefits of stepping up to a +, including a move from 15-inch steel wheels to 16-inch alloys, keyless remote, privacy glass, and, most important, a jump in engine size.

The basic Soul has a 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine that puts out a competitive 138 horsepower and 123 lb.-ft. of torque. Select a standard six-speed manual or opt for the six-speed automatic. The + and ! get a 2.0-liter engine that bumps horsepower to 164 and torque to 148 lb.-ft.

Interestingly, the fuel economy ratings have just been adjusted, after Hyundai and Kia were found to have released slightly optimistic figures. The original ratings of 26 City, 34 Highway for the 2.0-liter engine with either transmission are now downgraded to 23 and 28 respectively. I averaged 24 miles per gallon. At 2,600 to 2,700 pounds, The Kia scoots along easily with the larger engine.The smaller engine, in a car weighing about 100 pounds less, has economy figures of 2 mpg better.

You can order the Eco Package on the 2.0-liter-engine cars that includes Idle Stop and Go technology that shuts off at lights, along with low rolling resistance tires. It'll get you an extra 1 mpg.

Kias have offered little extras historically to amuse the young crowd. My tester had a setting to add illuminated rings around the speakers in the doors. You can set them for a range or colors--or to have the colors change and pulse with the music! It was an amusing novelty--for a while.

A few little nitpicks. Although the Souls is equipped with numerous sound muffling technologies--and the + and ! get an extra helping--I still heard some road hum on rougher surfaces at freeway speeds.The sunroof in my test worked well but I noted wind buffeting at 30 miles per hour with the windows closed. And, although I appreciated the separate compartment for an iPod, you need a special two-plug cable to use media, and my tester didn't have one.

The Soul is not Kia's least expensive car--that goes to the cute little Rio hatchback and sedan--but prices are definitely affordable. They start at just $15,215, including shipping. The + jumps to $17,475 with manual. The !, with the automatic (the only transmission offered) comes to $20,675. My tester, with the $2,500 Premium Package and the Eco Package ($500), came to $23,675.

It's remarkable that a car like this, aimed at youth, has had significant success with older folks. This baby boomer liked the spaciousness, the ease of entry and exit, easy to fold rear seats that made cargo loading easy, and the quite comfortable seats. 

Kia has seen sales increases for 18 years in a row, and it's easy to see why. Their lineup is completely updated now, and the Soul is just one way to go.

Hyundai Veloster Turbo = More Muscle

Menacing face

The Hyundai Veloster is a quirky car (but I like it). I originally sampled a bright yellow one last February and it mixed practical hatchback virtues with reasonable economy and a bit of sportiness.

Now, I'm finishing up a test of the much-awaited Turbo version. While the original car had a 138-horsepower 1.6-liter four, this one, thanks to the air spooling technology, delivers 201 horsepower and 195 lb.-ft. of torque from the same displacement. It still manages to rate 30 miles per gallon average (26 city, 38 Highway); I'm averaging 24.7 mpg so far, including a lot of stop-and-go commute driving. The non-turbo model had EPA average rating of 32 mpg and I added up 30.

While my last Veloster was sunny, this one, in Ultra Black, seems more menacing, especially with its huge mouth in front and long stretches of headlamp above. The detailing really does set the car apart, thougth, including the complex architecture of both head and taillamps (really cool at night) and the twin exhausts close to the middle below the rear bumper.

Exciting, edgy, angular

Inside, the same exciting, edgy, angular interior is carried over to the turbo. All the different lines, shapes and textures make it feel like you're having fun, even when sitting in traffic (which is where you get a chance to study them and ruminate on what the designers were thinking). You sit low, sports car style, and the six-speed manual transmission offers a greater feeling of control. I had to be careful to pull left for first gear because it was easy to select third by mistake, but otherwise the trip through the gears was a treat and the shift knob feels comfortable in your hand.

The seven-inch multi-media touch screen greets you with an ascending tune and a glamour shot of the car each time you turn on the ignition. The Dimension Premium audio system works easily and sounds fine, although I wish the USB port was located in a hidden spot, such as the console or glovebox. I had to keep plugging and unplugging my iPod when I parked. The touch screen is simple to use on the go, although, like many cars, the shuffle feature for your iPod has to be reset each time you turn it on. 

The turbo adds a lot of power, but the car doesn't feel especially fast. Mainly tested in zooming away from metered freeway entrances, I was not pushed back into my handsome leather seat terribly hard, but the car did go where I pointed it easily. The turbo in the VW and Audi vehicles, with the same horsepower, feels stronger, although that car's engine is 2.0. Is it a torque issue?

Left side -- one large door

Hyundai must be applauded for introducing a car that's fun and is not simply a coupe version of their compact vehicle. Actually, they have a wide range of cars to choose from, and this is neither a subcompact Accent (sedan or hatchback) nor an Elantra (sedan, hatchback, coupe). It's something else--made most clear by it's amazing doors. There are two full-size doors on the right, as on a sedan, and one larger door on the left--like that on a coupe. The pillar is in a different place on each side. Asymmetry is not a common feature in cars, but this one definitely has it. You can's see both sides at the same time so it's easy to not notice this unique feature.

Right side -- two smaller doors

The standard Veloster I tested in February had a base price of $17,300 and came to $22,000. This one, with the "Ultimate Package" (panoramic sunroof, rearview camera and a few other things) plus Michelin Pilot sport tires ($1,200), base-priced at $21,950 and added up to $26,520.

I'm going to miss this car when it goes--it does what I need it to do and it's fun to walk up to it in the parking lot and get in and zoom away.

Kia Sportage Re-imagined

The Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V are widely celebrated for being the first small crossovers in the U.S. market, but the Kia Sportage actually came out first--in 1993. I knew someone who drove one and loved it, but this was the early days of Kia, and sales were small in the U.S.

After a short hiatus, the second generation car arrived in 2005 and, with Kia and fellow Korean manufacturer Hyundai under one roof, it was a companion of the Hyundai Tucson.

But it's the third generation that concerns us here, and what a different set of wheels it is. Debuting in 2011, it introduced a whole new look and feel to Kia crossovers, based on the Kue concept car. You can thank the team at Kia's U.S.-based design center in Irvine, California, for the transformation. Presumably they were inspired by Kia Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer, formerly of Audi's design team.

The first two Sportages had the two-box look set by the landmark Ford Explorer SUV in 1990. As these (sometimes) four-wheel-drive models have morphed more and more into tall cars with lots of cargo capacity, there's no reason to stick to this rigid design template.

The upswept nose is very much part of other Kias, with the now recognizable tab grille and grinning slivers of headlamp cluster, it's a smiling face but it avoids the Joker-like grin of recent Mazdas. The side shaping, high window sill line and blocky rear pillar are new and exciting developments.

Inside, my tester was pretty much all gray, and many of the surfaces were hard, as befits a truck. The armrests and center console bin were padded, at least. There are enough black panels and silver and chrome accents to keep the passenger space from feeling low budget, but this is no Mercedes-Benz, either.

The twin grab handles on the console reminded me of those in the first Audi TT--not a big surprise. A surprising forward-jutting section atop the instrument panel, in front of the driver, added some flair but no additional function. The windshield pillars are shockingly thick, but this is part of making the newest Sportage crashworthy. It also helped the new model gain recognition as a 2011 "Top Safety Pick" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

You can get your Sportage in four levels, starting with the base model and moving up through LX, EX and SX models. The LX upsizes the base car's 16-inch alloys to 17-inchers, places LED turn signals on the outside mirrors, adds keyless entry with folding key and most significantly, a six-speed electronically controlled Sportmatic™ automatic transmission, along with solar and privacy glass.

The EX, like my Signal Red test car, bumps the wheels to 18-inch alloys, slips in high performance dampers, LED daytime running lights, roof rails, a rear spoiler, fog lamps and chrome body trim and door handles. The top-of-the-line SX keeps the 18-inch wheels but makes them special, but puts a powerful yet fuel-efficient 2.0-liter turbocharged GDI engine producing 260 horsepower under the hood. This rates dual exhausts, and stands out with sculpted side sill moldings and a unique grille.

The standard engine in every level but SX is a 2.4-liter DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder engine with Continuously Variable Valve Timing. It provides 176 horsepower and has been tuned to deliver a one mpg improvement on the highway over last year's model.

The EPA's Green Vehicle Guide gives the car with the 2.4-liter engine a 6 for Air Pollution and a 6 for Greenhouse Gas; there is one model listed with a 9 for Air Pollution. It's likely sold in California and other smog-legislated states. Both get SmartWay designation.

The base car, which comes only with a manual transmission and two-wheel drive, starts at $19,300. My two-wheel-drive tester came to $28,800. It's possible to get over $30,000 with option packages. These prices include $800 for shipping. 

So, the new car looks good, drives well, and fits right in with the complete repositioning of Kia in the marketplace. What's not to like?

Kia Rio - Small Car, Big Step Up

When you're selling in the lower end of the car market, it's easy to be dismissed as a cheap "econobox." The Kia Rio could be treated that way--but it would be a mistake. For 2012, it's not only better looking, but has the feel, inside and out, of a real car that's worth buying for its own sake--not just for the price.

Much of the goodness is its looks comes from the happy fact that Kia's design chief, Peter Schreyer, used to design Audis for a living. Everything Kia sells is getting a profound upgrade, and now, Kia's smallest vehicle in America has been hit with with the beauty brush (the opposite of an ugly stick). From the large headlight pods to the subtle scoops on the sides to the tightly integrated high taillamps,this car looks the part of a scrappy little hatchback now--or a tidy sedan, depending on which you choose.

I just spent a week driving back and forth to work and all over the place in a Signal Red Rio 5-door hatch. I got 29.6 miles per gallon in the process. It would probably have been a little higher if I had the manual transmission, but that's still quite good for a regular, non-hybrid vehicle.

Regarding the manual, it's available--but only on the LX base model, so ordering one would preclude some items I'd want, including Bluetooth, telescoping steering column and the standard audio system. The automatic worked fine with the 1.6-liter, 138-horsepower four-cylinder engine, and it wasn't too noisy in the cabin.

And what an interior you get now with this little car. While sister division Hyundai revels in swoops and curves, the little Kia is chunky and Teutonic--more like a VW Golf--and the flat, matte-finish dash is just one area where you can see the influence. The door armrests felt a little "sticky" with their soft plastic coating, but the overall sense of high quality, good design and attention to detail makes this car a whole lot nicer than the Kia Sephia I tested back in 1994.

Yes, the bass fits in there fine when you flip down the rear seats and remove the cargo cover. I had the scroll as an armrest, and it was the one time when I was glad I had an automatic.

My car, with SX model, with shipping, came to $18,545. Prices start at $14,350.

Things are going very well for the Korean manufacturers in the U.S. now, and that's because they're delivering what customers want--looks, features and price-and it's all backed up with a 10-year warranty.

Hyundai Accent Amazes

I just spent a very happy week with the new 2012 Hyundai Accent. The Accent is the Korean manufacturer's smallest car sold in America. It competes with other entry-level cars such as the Ford Fiesta, Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit.

The Accent is all new for 2012, offering hatchbacks and four-door sedans in three trim levels. All wear the company's swoopy, sculpted styling that has helped make the midsize Sonata sedan such a hit. The look successfully scales down to the Elantra compact and the now the Accent.

I had the hatchback, in a sober gray worthy of a Mercedes-Benz, but the car managed to have a cuteness mixed with a confidence in its own wheelbase. Inside the car, the sweep of the dash and doors, nice fit of the panels, lack of cheapness and remarkable solidity was impressive. There was plenty of rear legroom for adults. Hyundai, and the Accent, have come a long way.

My car was an SE--the sporty model--and it had, hooray, a six-speed manual transmission. There aren't that many around any more, with even the lowliest economy ride proferring an automatic. As it is, Hyundai has chosen to offer the manual as standard and the automatic as optional in each line. That's commendable, as the Accent's cousin, the Kia Rio, offers a manual only in the base car.

My tester was not base. I enjoyed Bluetooth for my phone, Satellite Radio, air conditioning (really standard everywhere these days), power windows, locks and mirrors (also pretty ubiquitous). A leather steering wheel and shift knob gave an upscale feeling, and the design itself was just right. Compared to the Ford Fiesta, which is a little overstyled, it seemed to be a balance between youthful exuberance and the kind of environment you wouldn't mind occupying for a few hours a day without getting distracted.

The Accent uses a 138-horsepower 1.6-liter engine that moved the car along smoothly and quietly, and delivered 32 miles per gallon. That's quite good. The EPA gives it ratings of 30 City, 40 Highway (34 average) and Green Vehicle Guide numbers of 6 for Air Pollution and 8 for Greenhouse Gas (that's SmartWay-winning territory).

Prices start at just $12,545 for the GLS up to $15,895 for the SE, plus shipping. Hyundai vehicles have been attractively priced from the beginning, but they are today great cars to own and drive, even at the starting end of the market.