Monthly Archives: May 2018
Prices Revealed For The 2019 Mazda CX-3 Small Crossover
The pricing for the 2019 Mazda CX-3 crossover has been released. The subcompact SUV will have a starting price of $21,365 when it arrives in dealerships later this month. That’s a $280 increase from the current model, including a $975 destination and handling fee.
Fuel Efficiency
Aside from the pricing, the company just released the EPA rating. The front-wheel-drive version gets 29 miles per gallon in the city and 34 on the highway for a combined 31 mpg. The all-wheel-drive version is rated at 27 mpg in the city, 32 on the highway and 29 combined. These are the exact ratings for the outgoing model. And here we are wondering about Mazda’s promised improved fuel economy.
Performance
During the New York Auto Show, we saw a glimpse of what’s to come in the 2019 Mazda CX-3 crossover. It would carry the same 2.0-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder that produces 148 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque. It will be mated with a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift and sport modes.
The new model also gets Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control driving technology, as well as a sportier and retuned suspension and improvements, making the driving experience quieter and more refined. There’s also an electronic parking brake, a redesigned center console and armrest, additional storage space, and redesigned front seats and additional rear armrest with built-in cupholders.
Standard features include a new direct tire-pressure monitoring system and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, two USB ports, a rearview camera, hands-free Bluetooth calling and audio pairing capability, and the 7-inch Mazda Connect full-color infotainment and diagnostic display, controllable via voice command or control knob.
For an extra $1,100, you may also get the new Sport i-ACTIVSENSE Package composed of safety technologies such as smart city braking support with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, radar cruise control with stop-and-go function, LED headlights and LED combination tail lights.
The Touring trim level adds 18-inch wheels and keyless entry while the top-level Grand Touring starts at $26,720 and $28,120 for front- and all-wheel-drive configurations, respectively.
Photos by: Road Show
2020 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabin Is Made of Money
In 2020, we’re going to see a new model for the flagship sedan of Mercedes-Benz. The photos of the next Mercedes-Benz S-Class’ testing may have showed no changes on the exterior, but the cabin will likely receive a do-over that would enhance the driver and passenger experience.
Hartmut Sinkwitz, Mercedes’ director of interior design, was interviewed during the 2018 Beijing Auto Show where the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury was revealed. For the 2020 S-Class, Sinkwitz said the design for the car’s interior should place emphasis on appealing to the driver’s and the passengers’ sense of touch. This means ditching the current scroll wheel interface for the COMAND infotainment systems. It will be replaced with touchscreen and touchpad systems similar to those found in the Mercedes E-Class.
As we know, the current Mercedes are fitted with a pair of side-by-side 12.3-inch screens. That would have to change as well because Sinkwitz believes that the screens must evolve to accommodate the kind of lifestyles the passengers have. Since the S-Class is in the “executive level sedan,” there must be a new screen. While the new screen will not necessarily be sizable, it would have to provide the same kind of convenience and luxury expected from an executive’s sedan. Sinkwitz, by the way, considers huge screens for Mercedes as impersonal.
The screens would most likely mirror the same ones seen on the Ultimate Luxury concept revealed in China. The screens feature a pair of active fields displayed within a broad, horizontal glass panel. This is what would be fitted in every Mercedes luxury models from the next GLE-Class and up.
There are changes in the interior lighting, too. The current-generation S-Class has seven different ambient light colors, including five dimming levels and four dimming zones in its LED-capacitated cabin. With the E-Class, there’s 64 ambient lighting colors. The S-Class might push for more than that.
Smoother Design Shown By 2020 Ford Escape Spy Shots
The new generation Ford Escape or Kuga (if you’re from Europe) is in the early stages of testing as shown from the prototype that was spotted for the first time. The prototype shows a smoother, more fluid-like design for the latest Focus.
The test mule has a lengthened tail section and wider hood (which some may see as Ford’s way to hide the mechanicals), which probably indicated that the new Escape will be longer and wider than the previous generation.
This decision for an increased size makes sense since Ford has recently introduced the subcompact Ecosport and a new mini off-roader. The longer Escape will also make it a good competition with the Nissan Rogue and Volkswagen Tiguan.
Recently, Ford introduced a new platform for compact cars. This debuted in the new Focus and would probably be the same platform that would be used on the new generation Escape.
There are no details yet about the powertrains, but we can expect the new Escape’s standard powertrain to be a turbocharged inline-4 paired to an 8-speed automatic and front-wheel drive for the US market. All-wheel drive systems will also be available.
If you’re on the lookout for the Escape Hybrid, you may be in luck because it might be making a return. This time, we’re hoping it would have a plug-in hybrid powertrain option. Ford has plans to launch 24 hybrid and plug-in hybrids over the next five years. That includes the F-150 and Mustang hybrids.
The new-generation Escape is expected to be launched later this year, which would make it a 2020 model. The current Escape is being manufactured in Ford’s plant in Louisville, Kentucky. This would be the same location where the new generation Escape is going to be produced.
The only other compact model from Ford would be the Focus Active soft-roader.
Photos
Check out the spy shots of the 2020 Ford Escape from Car and Driver in the gallery below:
4 Things To Know About The 2018 Hyundai i20
The Hyundai i20 is known for being affordable and practical, thanks to its power efficiency and a number of tech features inside. The South Korean brand has finally revealed a refreshed model for the i20, which last saw an upgrade back in 2014.
The updated line has gas-powered engines and the latest tech safety features available in the market.
1. Exterior
There are a number of body styles that the 2018 Hyundai i20 is offering, which will basically cover as many segments as possible. The body styles include a five-door hatchback, a sportier three-door hatch, and a crossover “Active” body style.
The 2018 model year gives a slightly upgraded design to the i20. There’s a restyled cascading grille design up front, a two-tone roof option, and alloy wheel sizing between 15 and 16 inches. There are more exterior paint colors, too, such as Tomato Red, Champion Blue, and Clean Slate. The other carry-over hues are Passion Red, Sleek Silver, Stardust Grey, Polar White, and Phantom Black.
2. Interior
The layout of the cabin is pretty basic and straightforward. Since this is a practical car, at the most, that should not be a problem to owners. The steering wheel has a thumb-operated multifunction buttons and red contrast stitching. There’s a center-mounted digital driver’s information display, and a push-button start finishes off the look.
Buyers can get an optional panoramic sunroof, but that will cost more. And for the infotainment section, the Hyundai i20 will have features that include navigation, media support, and connectivity services. Cargo room, on the other hand, is rated to have 11.5 cubic feet.
3. Performance
There will be no more diesel option for the 2018 Hyundai i20. The carmaker, instead, opted for a variety of gas-powered engine configurations—a turbocharged Kappa 1.0-liter three-cylinder T-GDI and a naturally-aspirated Kappa 1.2-liter engine.
4. Prices
The 2018 Hyundai i20 will arrive in dealerships in June and sold in the European market. Hyundai did not provide exact pricing for the cars, but expect it to be around $16,513.
