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KIA Niro: 50 MPG hybrid that looks like the Ford Escape

If they add AWD to it, you can expect it to lose 4-6mpg, maybe more. The fuel economy hit for things like that is larger when you're looking at a higher-MPG vehicle.
 
Yuriman said:
If they add AWD to it, you can expect it to lose 4-6mpg, maybe more. The fuel economy hit for things like that is larger when you're looking at a higher-MPG vehicle.
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Even 10mpg hit is fine if it can get AWD and more ground clearance.

Like, 40mpg is still quite high.
 
Ford Escape?

Its the size of a Ford Focus. Cargo capacity of only 19cu/ft is quite small for hatch. 101cu/ft interior sapce.

Civic Hatch - 26cu/ft 97cu/ft Interior
Focus Hatch - 23cu/ft
Impreza Hatch - 21cu/ft

Ford Escape - 34cu/ft 99cu/ft Interior
 
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desura said:
Unfortunately, only FWD at the moment.
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I will say that on my 2014 Kia Soul with TC & ESC (ESC being required on the newer cars), it drove amazing in the snow. Best FWD car I've ever driven in the snow, actually. Not quite as good as my AWD Jeep/Subaru, but honestly, pretty close.
 
Any idea when this is supposed to go on sale in USA? The linked article didn't say (that I saw), nor did a quick search turn up an answer. I've seen TV ads for the Niro a couple of times this week so it must be coming soon. My Prius has 225k miles and is still running like a champ, but I l'd like to know what's out there on the market for when I buy I will buy quick.
 
Thump553 said:
Any idea when this is supposed to go on sale in USA? The linked article didn't say (that I saw), nor did a quick search turn up an answer. I've seen TV ads for the Niro a couple of times this week so it must be coming soon. My Prius has 225k miles and is still running like a champ, but I l'd like to know what's out there on the market for when I buy I will buy quick.
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Yeah, I've seen a bunch of TV ads. Seems like a great-looking Prius competitor!
 
Dr. Detroit said:
Ford Escape?

Its the size of a Ford Focus. Cargo capacity of only 19cu/ft is quite small for hatch. 101cu/ft interior sapce.

Civic Hatch - 26cu/ft 97cu/ft Interior
Focus Hatch - 23cu/ft
Impreza Hatch - 21cu/ft

Ford Escape - 34cu/ft 99cu/ft Interior
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Hmm, yeah I might have misjudged size. It may actually be a little smaller than the prius 4g.
 
Thump553 said:
Any idea when this is supposed to go on sale in USA?
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Cars.com is showing 50 in the USA. None in California yet.

Sat in the Ioniq at the SD auto show and its a looker. Toyota needs to do something about the abysmal looking Prius & marginally better Prime.
 
Dr. Detroit said:
Cars.com is showing 50 in the USA. None in California yet.

Sat in the Ioniq at the SD auto show and its a looker. Toyota needs to do something about the abysmal looking Prius & marginally better Prime.
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I do agree that Prius styling (always "distinctive") has gone steadily downhill since the second gen Prius, but I think the styling changes are intentional and in step with current trends. Then again I think a large chunk of styling in the last few years is abysmal-cutesy LED headlight designs, humongous black bowtie front grills (a personal dislike), etc. Then again a vast portion of auto styling is change for change's sake, with the hope that your change catches on with the buying public.
 
Thump553 said:
Then again a vast portion of auto styling is change for change's sake, with the hope that your change catches on with the buying public.
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The jelly bean MBZ C, E and GLC are the worst offenders of bland styling.
The Civic will not age well
Tesla X is truly bland. I think GM stylists from the 90's want their Lumina lines back.

The hard lines/angles of the 4G Prius & Mirai are not where auto styling will go. Toyota/Lexus seem hell bent on making the most offensive looking cars. Even the new LC500 is abysmal.
 
The new Civic is a sign of what's to come, for aerodynamic reasons. The rear end is pretty... interesting, and may not age well, but expect that general idea to be what most cars look like from now on.


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^ Manufacturers have been easing us back into the "fastback" look pretty slowly, but cars are basically converging on the basic shape of an airfoil.
 
Dr. Detroit said:
The jelly bean MBZ C, E and GLC are the worst offenders of bland styling.
The Civic will not age well
Tesla X is truly bland. I think GM stylists from the 90's want their Lumina lines back.

The hard lines/angles of the 4G Prius & Mirai are not where auto styling will go. Toyota/Lexus seem hell bent on making the most offensive looking cars. Even the new LC500 is abysmal.
Click to expand...

I've seen a few Model's X's on the road & it is surprisingly bland. It looks like a glossed-over BMW X6:

TeslaX_197in_vs_BMW_X6_192in_captioned-640x470.jpg


Then again, the Model S doesn't stand out at all. I mistake them for Ford Fusions all the time, until I get closer or see the T logo.
 
Cars of an era always look similar, and it's been that way forever. Manufacturers ape each other's design elements and package them in a slightly different way. When something is unique it's usually ugly, like the Prius.

Comparing a bunch of cars in the same color from a side profile is silly though. An X6 looking like the Model X? They have a completely different greenhouse and head/taillights. If you're interested in car design, you have to look at the details.
 
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I would love to see how the topographical aid pans out. I've long thought that there could be quite a bit of real world efficiency gained from this knowledge. I still want to be able to drive my car, but this kind of "smart" aid in a hybrid really makes a lot of sense.
 
KnightBreed said:
Cars of an era always look similar, and it's been that way forever. Manufacturers ape each other's design elements and package them in a slightly different way. When something is unique it's usually ugly, like the Prius.

Comparing a bunch of cars in the same color from a side profile is silly though. An X6 looking like the Model X? They have a completely different greenhouse and head/taillights. If you're interested in car design, you have to look at the details.
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Yeah. The Model X looks really goofy in person, you definitely won't mistake it for a BMW.
 
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