Kia's Second Effort At Luxury Finds More Love Than The Amanti



The same recent global economic crises that have led luxury automakers to invade the small car market are probably also responsible for the influx of near-luxury sedans from mainstream automakers. As the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Audi are reaching down for new customers, automakers like Hyundai, Chevrolet and Toyota are reaching up to bridge the gap and fill in the white space between the typical high-volume large sedans and established luxury sedans. Joining this emerging market, the 2014 Kia Cadenza is the latest sedan to blur the line between value and luxury. One of Kia's core focuses has been offering value to customers, and even with a starting price of $37,795 the Cadenza still represents plenty of value.

Despite what you might be thinking, the Cadenza is not named after a piece of furniture. Instead, Kia says the name for its new front-wheel-drive flagship came from the musical term 'cadence' to fit in with other musically inspired model names like Forte and Soul. Much like the Hyundai Genesis, the Cadenza will serve as a test of sorts to see how much customers are willing to pay for a Kia, and despite recent reports indicating that Kia has confirmed the Quoris for next year, the reality is that the availability of the bigger rear-wheel-drive flagship will be determined in part by how well the Cadenza strikes a chord with buyers.

This isn't Kia's first crack at mid-level luxury. That distinction goes to the bug-eyed, Amanti, which was killed off in 2009. The same basic recipe is still in place – V6 power, roomy interior and a lengthy list of standard features, yet this car seems altogether better outfitted to appeal to modern consumers than the baroque Amanti. We headed out to the great weather and even better roads near San Diego to test the 2014 Kia Cadenza to see for ourselves if it has the inner harmony and cadence to keep step with full-size luxury sedans or if it's just here to make a bunch of noise.

What better way to spend Mother's Day than at the Driver Development Track at Mosport (aka Canadian Tire Motorsports Park) The team at Sweetie Girl Racing (SGR), rolled out all the stops and hosted a fantastic, fun and highly informative drivers training day. Despite the rain, cold, sleet, and ever-changing conditions on that faux-spring day, smiles and delighted faces were all around as family members, friends and instructors cheered on the visible progress of all those enrolled.

The day started out with a classroom session where everything from body position, racing lines, car control, tires and just about anything that anyone would need to know about driving on a track was discussed. There was a wide range of enrolled drivers, ranging from freshly licenced 17-year-old drivers to those who have had 40-plus years of experience. The idea of the day was to illustrate that any driver could benefit from this kind of advanced driving experience. The variety of cars on track were just as varied as the drivers' experience levels. Ford, Mazda, Volvo, BMW, Porsche, Subaru, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Lexus and even an exotic GT40 were all represented, respectively.

Click here to view the full story and photo gallery from the event.

We still only have rumours about the third-generation Audi TT said to be scheduled for launch in late 2014, but based on a report in Car and Driver, we know a tiny bit more about it. The base engine will be the 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder with direct injection, but horsepower is said to be 220 horsepower – that would make for a nine-hp jump over the current output. The TTS would get an even larger power boost, going from 265 currently to 300 hp. The TT RS would stick with it's 2.5-litre five cylinder, with output increased from 360 to 380 hp. If Audi includes a nice dose of the go-light engineering involved in the TT Ultra Quattro, these horsepower numbers might be even more impressive.

As with the TT concept and first-generation production car, though, it sounds like the brand is concentrating on aesthetics. It's been widely reported that Audi wants to reclaim the juju conjured by the original TT, and while we still don't know what that means outside, CD reports that the interior gets simplified, "futuristic-feeling" styling thanks to instruments served up on a TFT screen. Remember, the first Audi TT had a cockpit that Car magazine dubbed simply, "The Cabin."

About a year after the coupe comes, the Audi TT Roadster will show up and should be joined by the next A5. The news for the next version of the subtly beautiful coupe is the arrival of a plug-in hybrid with torque vectoring via an electric motor for the rear axle. Beyond that is wilder speculation of an A9, which might be called Q9, and which was the four-door-coupe flavour of the month two years ago when it was possibly going to share a platform with the Lamborghini Estoque. According to the CD story, the thinking now is around "a combination of fastback and crossover proportions," a two-fer we've yet to see any carmaker pull off without making us go, "Oh. I see."

Click through to watch the Audi TT in action.

With its well-deserved reputation for high design, it is not particularly surprising to see Jaguar reaching outside of the automotive realm for future inspiration. To that end, the British automaker recently enlisted the talents of students at the Royal College of Art to create a piece of forward-looking, automotive-inspired sculpture.

The results of this project can be seen above; a sculpture created by RCA students Claire Miller and Ewan Gallimore, and unveiled to a small audience to kick off London's Clerkenwell Design Week. The spare and rather elegant form created by the talented pair absolutely harkens back to coupes from Jaguar's past as well as its present (read: F-Type) without aping any one model particularly.

In a press release, the artists had this to say about the work: "Our form relates to the Jaguar brand through its sculptural volumes, bespoke materials and visual lightness. These elements helped us to create a sculpture that aimed to display a seamless transition between interior and exterior space." Get a better look at the Jaguar artwork in the gallery above, or read through the press release, which follows.

Ford began manufacturing cars in Australia in 1925 with the Model T. In 2016, Ford will stop manufacturing cars Down Under, including the Falcon and the Territory SUV. Ford Australia CEO Bob Graziano has reportedly confirmed the closure of the company's Broadmeadows assembly plant and the Geelong engine plant, both in the state of Victoria. There will be 650 jobs lost at Broadmeadows, 510 sacrificed at Geelong. Of the roughly 3,000 workers the Blue Oval has in Australia, it's said it will try to retain about 1,000 of them at its R&D and product development facilities.

The writing hasn't just been on the wall, it's been a regular item in all the papers and on Ford's bottom line for years. As recently as 2003, Ford sold nearly 75,000 Falcons, but over the next four years, annual sales dropped by something like 10,000 units, and over the last two years, it has sold less than 20,000 per year. It isn't only Ford that has suffered – sales of the other large, locally produced sedan, the Holden Commodore, have also gone over the precipice, triggering the same kind of angst about Holden's continued existence. Ford is the smallest of Australia's local automakers, Holden and Toyota the others, and has posted losses of $AUD141 million last year ($141,253,000 CAD) and $AUD600 million ($601,566,000 CAD) in the past five years. Graziano said the cost of manufacturing is simply too expensive in the country, twice as high as Europe and three times as high as Asia, and there no way to make a business case for staying in the country.

In January 2012, Ford Australia announced it would stay in the country until at least 2016, but by July of the same year, most outside observers were quietly declaring that 2016 would be the last year of Ford Down Under, and even the speculation was making other observers nervous. Ford received money from the Victorian government last year to aid its refresh of the Falcon and Territory, which will continue on schedule for the 2014 model year. A front- and all-wheel-drive sedan on a global platform is predicted to replace the Falcon, with some other SUV expected to replace the Territory. The company says it still intends to expand its lineup in the country.

As for what will replace the employment hole at the factories and the supplier base, no one is quite sure. Ford has said that the employees will receive their entitlements, and workers do have three years to prepare for what's coming. As well, the state and national governments have already committed tens of millions to a fund to assist the employees. To watch a video on the topic, click through.

A lawsuit in New Hampshire, an American state where they take their slogan – Live Free or Die – seriously, is setting the city of Keene against a group of citizens fighting "the violent monopoly" by putting money in the about-to-expire parking meters of strangers. The action is known as "Robin Hooding in Keene," and there are various ways in which practitioners do it. The specific activity that the city has a problem with is when the Robin Hooders follow the city's parking enforcement officers and, in the city's words, taunt, interfere, harass and intimidate them. Keene officials say the situation is causing its parking officials to think about quitting.

A spokesman for the Robin Hooders argues that videoing and talking to the enforcement officers isn't harassment. The city isn't suing to get them to stop, but it is suing to establish a 50-foot safety zone around the parking meter officers in order to prevent the interactions. There are six members of the group who are named in the suit.

Click here to watch the full report and then view some additional videos of Robin Hooding on YouTube, which shows the many forms it takes. Let us know if you think it helps or hinders the city's case in the poll below.

We try very, very hard to keep snark away from creations like the one you see here. After all, someone poured plenty of enthusiasm, time and money into turning a 2008 Cadillac XLR into a modern interpretation of the new-old cars typically done by cottage builders like Excalibur and Clénet. Even so, it's hard not to wince when you set an eye on this machine. With its wheelbase stretched to accommodate the extra bodywork, goofy sidewalls and upkicked nose (examine it in profile, it looks slightly bent in the middle), this "neoclassic" takes whatever was loveable about the discontinued Cadillac roadster underneath and buries it in a tacky grave.

Miraculously, the engine bay has been left unmolested, which means the retractable hardtop convertible still features a 4.6-litre Northstar V8 engine good for 320 horsepower. If only that were enough to outrun its shame. If, for some reason, you feel like taking this thing home, Harry Kaufmann Motorcars of Milwaukee says it can be yours for a paltry US$74,998. We wish we were joking. Click here to check it out for yourself in our photo gallery.

An annual market study of the strongest brands across various industries has seen Toyota leapfrog BMW as the world's most valuable automotive brand. Toyota's 2013 brand value rose to US$24.5 billion, up 12 per cent versus 2012 numbers according to market research company Millward Brown's BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands list. BMW's value fell slightly; down by 2 per cent to a total of US$24 billion.

Mercedes-Benz finished in third place in the automotive category, up 11 per cent from 2012 for a valuation of US$18 billion. Honda (US$12.4 billion, down 2 per cent) and Nissan (US$10.2 billion, up 3 per cent) rounded out the top five for the category. Volkswagen was the only other auto brand that finished in the top 100 overall, in 100th place. Audi made the greatest percentage gain over 2012, up 18 per cent to US$5.5 billion, but finished outside of the top 100.

Technology companies dominated the overall list, with Apple, Google and IBM ranking one through three. Couture brand Prada was 2013's biggest gainer, rising by 63 per cent over 2012.

Hit the jump and watch a video on the Top 10 brands that failed.

You might think that Jeremy Clarkson has run out of groups to offend, but the Top Gear frontman remains as unfiltered and unbowed as ever, this time calling for British Airways to deposit traveling young children in with the luggage under its planes. After a flight to Scotland, the irascible Brit quipped, "When will British Airways realize that babies belong in the hold?" via Twitter. The tweet prompted equal quantities of laughter, outrage and support from those who follow him on the social media service. Acknowledging the controversy, Clarkson would later follow up by noting, "Mine didn't fly till they were old enough to behave."

Predictably, British Airways has responded by reiterating that all are welcome in its airplane cabins, but Clarkson's musing has also triggered widespread support for the notion of child-free air travel – on Twitter and beyond. And as the Telegraph notes, at least one airline realizes that for some travelers, there is real appeal to the idea: Malaysia's Air X airlines recently introduced select routes with seating areas where occupants must be 12 years or older. Perhaps they've just found their new spokesman?!

Click here to watch more of Clarkson's crazy antics and controversial comments.

The military's High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), or Humvee to most of us, is a rugged four-wheel drive vehicle designed and manufactured by AM General. In basic trim, the truck weighs about 3,400 kg (7,500 pounds). For a beast of this stature, that number isn't overly alarming... until you realize that its stock 6.5-litre turbodiesel, running power through a three-speed automatic and portal geared hubs, only sends about 113 horsepower and 219 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. Acceleration is leisurely, but at least the truck can get out of its own way.

Understandably, the situation becomes much more dangerous, potentially deadly, when the Humvee is fully armored for duty in combat zones – ironic, right? Tipping the scales at 6,530 kg (14,400 pounds), the stock engine is only able to accelerate the truck to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 43 seconds. Equally as jaw-dropping is the lousy stock braking system, as it takes a full 307 feet to bring the truck to a rest from 60 mph (96 km/h).

To help military troops make quicker entries and exits, Gale Banks Engineering has crafted the Sidewinder Turbo system with exhaust brake as an upgrade to the stock powerplant. When fitted, engine output jumps by about 50 per cent. According to the dyno, 178 horsepower and 329 pound-feet of torque make it to the wheels. Acceleration to the benchmark 60 mph (96 km/h) drops to 23.1 seconds, while braking falls to 243 feet. While those numbers still won't scare even the slowest passenger vehicle on your local highway, the improvement is dramatic - especially when under fire from an AK-47.

To demonstrate its wares, Banks recently invited us to drive both the stock and modified Humvees back-to-back at its headquarters in Southern California. (Note: The Humvee we drove was configured with some unique armor plating and a 50 caliber turret - we've been asked to hide both in our pictures.)

Click here to continue reading our full driving notes from this exclusive quick spin.

Would you know what to do if your car crashed into the sea and began to sink? For every foot you descend towards Davey Jones' Locker, 850 pounds (385 kg) of pressure are being exerted on your car door, making the simple act of opening it and exiting an impossibility at the worst possible time.

For this episode of The List, we've brought our hosts, Jessi and Patrick, to the experts at Amphibious Medics to learn the various techniques for escaping a car underwater. That's right, there's more than one school of thought on the best course of action in these situations, and we're going to try them all. While our hosts express their preference for which technique worked best for them, we're no experts and encourage you to do your own research.

Of course, we set up a completely controlled situation wherein we could ensure the safety of Jessi and Patrick, so don't try this at home with your winter beater and a local pond. We found a location perfectly suited for dunking cars, hired some trained medics and divers to watch their backs, and enlisted the services of the show's trusty BMW 3 Series (see its other starring roles in Work as a Professional Stunt Driver and Buy a Used Car Online) to play the part of the hapless sinking auto.

Will this knowledge ever come in handy? Hopefully not, but if you ever do find yourself slowly sinking underwater in your car, you'll be glad you scrolled down to watch the video below.

The upcoming version of the Volkswagen Golf R is nearly ready for prime time, if this video of the car flying around the Nürburgring is any indication. The all-wheel-drive R seems to make quick, neat work of the corners we see here, and sounds pretty devilish in the process.

Expectations are that the new Golf R will run a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder (what else?), tuned to produce even more than the current car's 256 horsepower. (Some sources have indicated outputs as high as 286 horsepower, with 280 pound-feet of torque. It's still not clear if Volkswagen will bring the six-speed dual-clutch transmission to the North American-spec Golf R in this next go-round or if we'll stick to having only... eh... the stick.

In either case – watching the video below will only whet your appetite for the new, highest performing member of the Golf family.

DaSilva Racing has always been synonymous with fast Ford's especially when it comes to Mustangs in particular. Joe DaSilva was the former 2009 crown holder in the venerable, yet, now extinct NMRA Pro 5.0 series and is considered the authority in Mustang performance, building and tuning.

So with great delight, we were asked to attend their recent track day event at Toronto Motosports Park (TMP) in Cayuga, Ontario. For those who don't know, Cayuga is about 1.5 hours outside of downtown Toronto and is an automotive playground for motorsports enthusiasts all over Ontario. Boasting a technical, yet flowing road course and a world class drag strip all in one convenient package.

Primarily a domestic dominated day, we saw a sprinkling of other vehicles including cars from BMW, Subaru, Toyota, Mazda, Volkswagen, two 10 second street legal Nissan GTR's and a lone Chevrolet Corvette to offer up some competition for the legendary Ford Mustang. Many of the attendees are active members of the GTA Mustang Club and along with a chance to rip their cars on track, it was also a day of shared camaraderie, networking and enthusiasts sharing their passion and having the chance to meet and greet each other.

Click here to catch all the highlights below.

We know the McLaren P1 is pretty much ready to fly into lucky owners' underground bunkers by the latter part of fall 2013. We should get a go at an early production version by late June, we are told, and as you would imagine, we can't wait.

The main facts remain the same: The P1 runs off a twin-power hybrid powerplant good for a combined 903 horsepower and 663 pound-feet of torque. Thrusting thrills are provided by both the push-button operated Drag Reduction System (or DRS), chopping drag by 23 per cent by flattening the rear wing, and by the push-button operated Instant Power Assist System (IPAS) feeding instantaneous added electric-motor oomph through the gearbox straight to the drivetrain. The slingshot from 0 to 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour) happens in less than 17 seconds.

Shivers. While at the Geneva Motor Show where the P1 showed itself in full production trim and in screaming picture-hogging yellow, we chatted about further details with the P1's chief of engineering design, Dan Parry-Williams. To all the specification fodder we already have on the P1, Parry-Williams added some chum. Scroll down to read the highlights.