Well guys... I can no longer make fun of Kia.

[RicerX]

They built what the Maxima should have been:



http://www.autoblog.com/2017/01/08/2018 ... n-detroit/

The short bits - it's RWD with AWD option. Mechanical LSD available. 3.3L V6 Twin Turbo with 365hp/376tq. Eight speed automatic (not CVT). Available Brembo brakes.

It doesn't have a manual option, but it is far more appealing and interesting than the Maxima. And it will compete directly with it as long as it doesn't price itself past it (highly unlikely, but stranger things have occurred).

I'm blown away. Recently I've been making concessions in my mockery of Kia in that I find the newest Sorento to be very attractive. Now, with this, I'm finding it not only attractive as far as visuals are concerned, the mechanicals are attractive.

The final piece is how does this thing get all of the stuff to the ground - will the weight distribution be on point, will the suspension be on point, and overall, will it be engaging and interesting to drive?

They poached the former head honcho of BMW's M division in order to begin producing products like this, and they've begun executing. Can't wait for this things Head to Head tests against the Maxima. It's going to obliterate it.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Detroit, Nissan is busy bringing the Qashqai to the US and naming it the Rogue Sport. This is me containing my excitement

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I like it more than the Maxima in every way... granted I'd like to drive it too. Numbers only tell so much of a story.

[MinisterofDOOM]

No doubt it's a Hell of a lot more fun than the latest Maxima, which has gotten more directionless and bland with each generation after the 5th.

I sure do hate strut suspension, though, and can't fathom the excuse for using it on a RWD product where there's no halfshaft geometry to work around. Struts are worse for handling AND worse for ride quality. Real cars use double wishbones or at least dual control arms (and yes, I know the 911 has struts up front, but it also has its engine behind the f*** rear axle, so it's not exactly the poster boy for ideal engineering).

I also think that the 375 ft-lb is a little...conservative for a top-tier engine. When everyone else's ~3.5 liter TT V6 mills are making well over 400, and Ford's 2.7 makes 350, 375 makes a nice midrange option for those who want power without getting silly. But it's not really enough to be really competitive unless it's very light--and I doubt it will be. Sure, it's still "a lot" but damn...if you're going to do it, do it right.

[AZhitman]

Here's the thing, prefaced with some concessions: I love the styling and fit/finish on the new Sorento and the upscale Optima. They're nailing the design game.

Appears to be a LOT of car for the money. However, I recently rented a loaded-up Optima. Gorgeous car. Comfortable, and great features. Driving it, I can certainly tell where they cut corners. They're not there yet. In fact, they're no competition for even the Altima at this point.

Certainly, my opinion and a dollar will get you a handjob from Torry, but still - I think they have a couple years to go before they're in the same category as Toyota / Nissan.

[Bubba1]

I agree ^ It's looks like Kia is doing what we've been unsuccessfully asking Nissan to do. while its not a "4 door sports car", it's RwD is a heck of lot closer to it than what Nissan has done with the Maxima or Altima. I'm not expecting to see any of them on track, but who cares. I'd love to test drive one. And I'm not ready to condemn them because of their suspension choice. Gotta test drive it with an open mind. And while it may not be perfect upon introduction, Kia has proven they can build decent, competitively priced vehicles and then, more importantly, improve them.

[frapjap]

That car looks damned good. But, Ted from marketing should get fired for adding in those gay a** chrome fake brake ducts.

I really hope the driving experience meets the styling this time. They've been making decently attractive cars for a while, but none have really held up when you get the opportunity to drive them.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I realized what my favorite thing about this car is.

It is a sporty rwd sedan with A REAL NAME. Not a number. Not some letters. A name.
What a novel idea.

[float_6969]

I like it as well. I haven't driven any Kia's so I don't have much to say about them. I do agree the styling has come a LONG way in the last 10 years. I think that if they continue at their current pace, they'll be genuinely competitive with the Japanese Big 3 in 10 years.

[MinisterofDOOM]

And in 10 years the Japanese Big Three will be looking at seriously falling profits because none of them have ANY idea how to adapt to changing market conditions or actually make competitive business decisions that involve thinking more creatively than "sell as many as possible and hope that's enough." They've all been making the same cars for 30 years. I can't imagine what 10 more years of boring stagnation will look like. The stupidest part is that they have had the opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others, but apparently hubris is insurmountable. They were on the other side of this in the 80s and 90s, watching the Americans make the same mistakes they're making now. If they don't change something, this only ends one way: reputation damage that will take decades to repair, while the Koreans run away with the market. And then I guess maybe it all happens again but with the Chinese as challenger this time? Damn, businessmen are stupid!

[Kompresshun]

Our 2014 Sorento has been nothing but great in the 60k miles we've had it so far. It gets decent fuel economy, has very little issues at all, and is very easy to maintain. The wife absolutely loves it. I was on the fence about buying a Kia myself when we did go look at it, but I bought an extended 100k bumper to bumper warranty on it just in case. So far we've used the warranty ONCE in 60k miles. That was because the radio freaked out in it and come to find out it was the wifes old phone that was causing it in the end.

Kristen has been trying to push me toward one of these for my next car and I will admit i'm a little intrigued by it. It's sorta on the low end as far as specs go for my criteria, but it's a really great looking car IMHO and it's definitely priced right. I may at least give it a look once it comes out at minimum.

[Bubba1]

I actually just saw one at the Philly Auto Show last weekend. (Awd, not Rwd) It was behind ropes on a turntable, so I couldn't get into it. Spokesmodel was cute too for bonus points. Nice looking car, but bigger than it looks in pictures. Rear visibility looks like it was sacrificed for styling but still sexy. It's bit too large for me and my needs, but I hope it's successful and Nissan takes notes.

[AZhitman]

We bought our Titan from a Kia dealer.

Had lots of time to wander the showroom. The Niro is going to be a game-changer, albeit a minor one. Hybrid with a 1.9 DI engine, smaller than a minivan but bigger than, say, a Mazda3 / Focus hatch. Good-looking car, with lots of options.

The K900 or whatever-the-hell they're calling it is a direct copy of an LS460. Seriously. It's also $80k. THat's gonna be a tough one, because for that money, in the luxury sedan class, it's hard to choose a Kia with a 3.5l over a Lexus. F&F is impressive, but I'm guessing the devil will reveal himself in the actual driving experience.

They have a minivan that's baller as all hell, too - but it was $50k+. They're swinging for the fences, and apparently don't give a damn if they strike out. I like their attitude.

The Hyundai/Kia story is simply a rehash of what Nissan / Toyota did in the 60's. Domestics and Nissan/Toyota need to step it up with a quickness, because once Korea figures out making their drivetrains a bit more "upscale-feeling," they could potentially dominate the global automotive market.