December 28, 2016 - SUV News and Analysis

4 Things You Need To Know Before Buying The 2017 Honda CR-V

Written By: Giancarlo December 28, 2016
New Model Releases

The 2017 Honda CR-V, a fifth generation, has been redesigned and reengineered. It packs amazing features—from the exterior design to the cabin to the machine under the hood. All of these come with an affordable $24,045 price tag. Not bad, right?

Time and again, CR-V has been chosen by the best auto magazines as the car of the year. The 2017 model year will surely be no exception, thanks to the sophisticated styling, a more spacious cabin, and the model’s first-ever turbocharged engine. Couple that with a host of new technologies and improved connectivity, and we got ourselves a winner.

Here are the four features of the 2017 Honda CR-V that you need to know before buying it:

1. Aggressive Exterior Styling

The CR-V is styled way more aggressively than ever before. You’ll see that on the sharper front-end design elements, the aggressive stylized headlights with a wing-shaped LED DRL around it. It also has wide, muscular fenders, long hood, longer wheelbase, short rear overhang, and new dual exhaust outlets.

Out front, you can expect Honda LED headlights for the Touring trim, an Active Shutter Grille system, uprated aluminum alloy wheel sizes to 17 or 18 inches, narrow A-pillars, and sporty dual exhaust.

2. Roomier Interior

CR-V’s platform wins in space efficiency. The new CR-V has a wider stance and longer wheelbase, which gives it a total interior volume of up to 1.8 cubic feet. Those who had problems with the rear seat legroom before will be happy to know that it increased by 2.1 inches. If the second-row seat is folded up, the total cargo length is up to 9.8 inches compared to the previous model.

3. New Powertrain

For the EX and higher trims, the 2017 CR-V will have the first-ever turbocharged 1.5-liter DOHC, Direct-Injected and the turbocharged in-line 4-cylinder with dual Valve Timing Control. Its pairing with a platform that provides amazing aerodynamics numbers gave the CR-V the highest EPA fuel economy ratings in the compact SUV segment.

4. Premium Technologies

Aside from a more spacious cabin, the new CR-V also boasts of a new soft-touch instrument panel, stitched seats, a new color TFT driver information interface center, 7-inch touchscreen Display Audio interface with Android operating system, Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.

To make it more convenient for the passengers, Honda added these: remote engine start, dual-zone climate controls, heated side mirrors, an Electric Parking Brake, dual rear USB charging ports, front passenger seat with 4-way power adjustment, and driver’s seat with 8-way power adjustment and 4-way power lumbar support.

3 Things To Watch Out For About The 2017 Kia Picanto

Written By: Giancarlo December 28, 2016
Concept Cars

If you’re excited about what’s in store for us in the new Kia Picanto, then you’re in for a treat. The South Korean automaker just released the first teaser sketches of the new generation Picanto, and it looks nothing like the current model.

Here are the top three things to watch out for in the 2017 Kia Picanto according to a report:

1. The Focus Is On The Younger Generation

It looks like the Picanto will have a “livelier” exterior that will attract the younger generation (millennials) more. The Picanto is Kia’s smallest car, a crucial segment in the auto industry because smaller sedans are usually the first cars for college students and young urbanites. This third-generation Picanto is coming out with a few surprises up its sleeve—for one, it will have a larger dimension and it will have a completely different design from the outside to the interiors.

2. More Enticing Than The Current Model

A few months ago, Kia introduced the new generation Rio subcompact, a truly critical phase for the brand because this is a fiercely competitive segment. Now that it’s ready to come out with the new Picanto, it came with guns blazing. The current Picanto is nothing to talk about, which makes the new one a future talk-of-the-town. Apparently, the new model is going to have a more dynamic A-segment model, which makes it more enticing than its predecessor.

3. A Mix And Match Of GT Line And Rio

The rendering of the new Picanto is a bit of a mix and match. On the exterior, it looks like the dual exhaust tips, bigger alloys, and fresh bumpers are based on the flagship GT Line version. Inside, the cabin is modeled after the 2017 Rio. Most noticeable in the cabin are the two circular instrument cluster dials and a digital round screen. Even the steering wheel looks similar to the same unit found in the Rio.

There should be a couple of power options—either an engine producing 100 horsepower or one that gives out 120 horsepower. If Kia wants to offer affordability, they can go to a naturally-aspirated gasoline engine options.

3 Features Of The 2017 Ford Explorer Platinum

Written By: Giancarlo December 28, 2016
New Model Releases

This top-of-the-line Ford Explorer Platinum gets a hefty price tag of $54,180. The exterior details are almost similar to the lesser Explorers, but the interiors certainly separated itself, thanks to the 10-inch digital gauge cluster, quilted leather seats, leather-wrapped dashboard, and real wood and aluminum accents found on the dashboard, doors, and steering wheel.

Here are the top 3 features of the SUV according to a source:

1. Stronger And Faster

Standing at 4,980 pounds, the Platinum sets itself to be the heftiest out of all the current Explorers. But, this didn’t stop Ford from engineering the vehicle to be its quickest, too. That’s largely because of the Platinum’s twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 EcoBoost engine that it shares with the Explorer Sport.

This engine can deliver 365 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. It is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission with a pair of steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Standard is all-wheel drive. It also comes with 20-inch wheels in all-season Hankook tires.

2. Premium Cabin

Once inside, you’ll feel the premiere and luxurious materials being offered by the Platinum. The central touchscreen is more responsive—there’s no need for a second or third tap to confirm a request. It has standard features such as an adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, an automatic parking system, dual-panel sunroof, a blind-sport warning system, and a front-mounted camera.

The three rows have more legroom, although they feel slightly more cramped than the Dodge Durango. It, however, boasts of the four cubic feet of cargo space behind the rearmost row.

3. Cheaper Than The Competition

The price tag may be hefty for a midsize crossover SUV, but it’s certainly more affordable than the Acura MDX and the Infiniti QX60, both of which come with the same equipment levels. The only thing that the Acura and the Infiniti hold above the Platinum is its more luxurious branding. In terms of power, both vehicles don’t offer the V-6 in the Explorer Platinum.