Kia Reveals Niro Crossover Concept Ahead Of 2013

Kia's rolled out a string of concepts over the past 12 months, foreshadowing a new generation of stylish and--presumably--affordable models it has in the works. These have included standouts such as 2011’s GT and the funky Provo and Cross GTcrossovers from earlier this year. Considering this cadence, it should come as no surprise that the Korean automaker has prepped a new concept for the upcoming 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show.

Revealed today in full, Kia’s new concept is the Niro and it previews a compact crossover that may be launched in the European market in the coming years. The concept’s unveiling in Frankfurt will be used to gauge potential customer interest, Kia tells us.

Kia boasts that the Niro features elements not always associated with smaller cars, such as premium materials and new tech features, and has been created in Europe with European tastes and expectations very much in mind. It was penned by the automaker’s European design studio, located in Frankfurt.

We still have much to learn as Kia also tells us that the Niro features an innovative powertrain that it will be announcing at the concept’s debut.

The 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show gets underway on September 10, but in the meantime stay tuned to our dedicated show hub for our latest updates.

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2016 Lincoln MKS To Share Fusion Platform, Offer 2.9 Liter EcoBoost :Report

Lincoln is in the process of overhauling its lineup, as well as introducing some brand new additions, and the next model we’re likely to see completely renewed is the MKS. The new car is being styled under the guidance of former Cadillac designer Max Wolff and will keep key Lincoln traits such as a winged grille, EcoBoost engine and standard front-wheel drive.

Development of the car is already well underway, with test mules based on a stretched Ford Fusion platform spotted in the U.S. recently. The current MKS uses a platform shared with the Ford Taurus. Incidentally, the next Taurus will also ride on the stretched Fusion platform.

Car and Driver managed to source photos of one of the test mules, which show a stretched Fusion wearing a multi-slatted grille similar to that found on the latest MKZ. Hope of Ford developing a new rear-wheel-drive platform for its Lincoln brand is fading fast, however, Car and Driver is also claiming that Lincoln may still launch a rear-wheel-drive coupe, perhaps based on the 2015 Ford Mustang platform.

Two engine options are expected to be offered for the new MKS: the current model’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, rated at 355 horsepower, and a new 2.9-liter EcoBoost V-6, delivering in the vicinity of 300 horsepower. Matched to either engine is said to be a six-speed automatic though this will eventually be upgraded to a nine-speed unit being developed jointly by Ford and General Motors.  All-wheel drive will remain an option.

So when might we see the new MKS in showrooms? The likely bet is sometime in late 2015, making it a 2016 model.

Volkswagen e-Golf & e-Up Electric Cars Set For Frankfurt Debut

Volkswagen will debut production versions of two new electric cars at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month.

The Volkswagen e-Golf and e-Up are the realization of several years of electric car testing by Volkswagen, and mark the automaker's transition to high volume electric car production.

e-Up

Each is largely based on a regular combustion-engined vehicle. The smaller e-Up features the underpinnings of the four-door Up minicar sold in Europe, but swaps its usual 1.0-liter, three-cylinder gasoline engine for a 60 kW (81 horsepower) and 155 lb-ft electric motor.

For comparison, the punchiest Up currently on sale develops no more than 74 horsepower, and 70 lb-ft of torque between 3,000-4,300 rpm--less than half that of the electric version. As a result, the car's 0-62 mph sprint drops from 13.2 seconds to 12.4. Those figures probably don't tell the whole story of course--at city speeds, it's likely to be significantly quicker. Top speed is 81 mph, short of the gasoline Up's 106 mph.

Range is 100 miles on a full charge of its 18.7 kWh lithium-ion battery pack--though it's worth noting that this is recorded in European testing, so if the e-Up ever made it to the U.S. (which it won't) that figure would be a fair bit lower.

As would its energy consumption figure: VW claims the highest efficiency of any electric car for the e-Up, at 18.8 kWh/100 mi. It might well be the most efficient, but its discrepancy to the Chevy Spark EV's 28 kWh/100 mi figure (joint highest of U.S. electric cars) highlight the differences between European and U.S. testing.

It's a similar story for the Golf, with a 20.4 kWh/100 mi efficiency rating--a 2013 Nissan Leaf averages 29 kWh/100 mi.

Combined with the Golf's 24.2 kWh battery pack (similar to the Leaf), VW claims a range of 118 miles. This is a couple of miles short of the 120 miles Nissan claims for the Leaf in Europe, so when the e-Golf arrives in the U.S. next year, you can expect a similar mid-70s range to the 2013 Leaf.

The Golf's 85 kW (114 horsepower) electric motor pulls it to 62 mph in 10.4 seconds, and the top speed has been limited to 87 mph to preserve range.

Each electric VW has two main driving modes--Eco and Eco+--as well as four regenerative braking options for different levels of retardation and regeneration. Like most electric vehicles, the option for fast charging allows an 80 percent charge in around 30 minutes.

Both the cars will debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show on September 10.

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College: 2014 Subaru BRZ

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 Since college is really just high school with an expense budget, some of the choices overlap. For the undergrad with a reputation to enhance--and the parents with a righteous amount of anxiety--something like a Subaru BRZ sends the right signals. The BRZ's a great choice, good-looking and trackable right out of the dealer box, but with Subaru's typically excellent safety ratings

High School: 2014 Honda Civic Coupe

If your high schooler is lucky enough to have earned a car, you want it to be safe. They want it not to be the social equivalent of leprosy. A nice compromise is the Honda Civic Coupe, which isn't too fast, and not unattractive. It's an excellent choice for safety and gas mileage, too--and it's likely to still be running when the next kid needs to inherit it.

Middle School: 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan

 Life's sloppy years force parents to think more practically when it comes to cars. What you really need to endure the early teen years and their overscheduled pace is a Dodge Grand Caravan. Base-priced from just about $20,000, you can spec out one of these minivans in the mid-$25,000 range and get Stow 'N Go seating, Bluetooth streaming audio, a reasonable amount of power and safety features, and save some bank for UConnect's in-car 3G data service so every passenger can log into wifi and email their homework ahead of class. We're sure that actually happens, somewhere.

The Best Back To School Cars For 2013

It's finally that time of year--when schoolgoers of all ages get very sad, when parents breathe a sigh of relief.

It's time to go back to school, and the kids are almost set: tablets, new sneakers, a sweet backpack. 

Wait, did you forget something? How about a new set of wheels? School time is a great time to consider a new car, because a new model year brings bigger discounts on the outgoing models. Never mind that; it's the perfect chance to show off in the pickup lane.

While you make one last back-to-school shopping list--cars to test-drive--we'll let you share our notes. We've picked our top choices for back-to-school vehicles, for every stage of education, from kindergarten to passing the bar. And in each case, we've picked some of the safest, most value-packed vehicles you can buy.

Elementary School: 2014 Ford Flex

You need something that makes the wheels go round and round with maximum safety, a minimum of fuss, and the most entertainment per mile. How about something that actually looks like a bus? The top-rated Ford Flex wagon is stuffed with its DVD entertainment systems, Bluetooth streaming, and excellent crash-test scores. The only thing missing? Maybe a coat of school-bus yellow paint.