New Sleek Mazda 6

Looks like Mazda has a sleek new champion headed our way, the new sleek Mazda 6.

Wheels Blog writes:


Mazda introduced its 2014 Mazda 6 at the Moscow motor show on Tuesday. The redesigned midsize sedan will mix it up with recently updated entries from Ford, Chevrolet, Nissan, Honda and Toyota. Judging by the details released by Mazda at the show, the 6 seems well equipped for the fight.

Unlike the recently introduced Mazda CX-5 crossover, which bore just a passing resemblance to the Minagi design exercise that preceded it, the new 6 appears to be quite faithful to the Takeri sedan concept first shown at the Tokyo motor show in 2011. In keeping with the automaker’s practice of ascribing mythical language to its engineering and design principles, both cars bear the influence of Kodo, or soul of motion, the philosophy that displaced Nagare, Mazda’s previous design language.

Like the Takeri concept, the 6 bears pronounced front fender arches, sharply creased character lines that sweep upward from the bottom of the front wheel wells, a smoothly arcing roofline over a crescent of side window glass and a gaping front grille that departs a bit from the much-maligned “Mazda smile.” The car has a slippery, low-slung look that is borne out by a 0.26 coefficient of drag.

Read more: http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/29/mazda-enters-the-midsize-fray-with-sleeker-mazda-6-sedan/

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Headed Back To School? This Car's For You!

School for most people is already starting up, especially for college students... but for students and their driving needs a lot of important factors come up: Styler, comfort, speed, fuel economy, and of course the ability to haul all of your friends... so what's the best car?

USA Today thinks that car is the Kia Soul:


We're barely into August and already radio is blaring ads for back to school. Heck, who wants to think about wading back into the classroom when the surf's up, the sun is shining and the mosquitoes are still nipping?

Well, there's no holding back some, like CarMax, which just published its list of recommended cars for returning students. Kelley Blue Book also has a list that's heavy on really small cars.

What both lists have in common is the Kia Soul, a fun small car if there ever was one.

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Mazda Is Shedding Some Pounds!

Mazda is planning on shedding some pounds in the future in a BIG way! They have set a goal to lose 220lbs, but not just in one car, they want to lose 220lbs of weight with EACH car redesign moving forward.

CSMonitor writes:

While all automakers realise the benefits of making their cars lighter, it's only been relatively recently that some models have actually weighed less than their predecessors.

Demands for safety, equipment, larger engines, more comfort and more space have pushed vehicle weight up so far that some cars are fifty percent heavier than their equivalent from 20 years ago.

Mazda started reversing this trend several years ago, and now it's making a bold statement: it wants to eliminate 220 pounds of weight every time it re-designs one of its models.

Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2012/0808/Mazda-cars-losing-weight-Try-220-pounds

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Testing The 2012 Sorento

The Sorento has been through a lot of criticism in the past, but the 2012 Sorento is a fun SUV that has style, comfort, and technology on its side.

Newsday had the opportunity to take the 2012 Sorento out for a spin, and here's what they had to say:


In 2003, Kia introduced the midsize Sorento SUV, which for a while replaced the Sportage, which had been the brand's only sport utility since the South Korean automaker arrived in the United States in the mid-'90s.

The Sportage two years later was reintroduced as a compact crossover, and remains in the Kia lineup.
But the Sorento has racked up much better sales, and that continues this year.

Kia had sold 26,011 Sorentos through March, compared with 9,888 of the smaller Sportage.
There was no 2010 model for the U.S. market, but a completely redesigned Sorento went on sale in early 2010 as a 2011 model, based on the architecture of the Hyundai Santa Fe.

It was the first product to come out of the new Kia factory in West Point, Ga., which now also builds the Santa Fe on the same assembly line.

With the remake, the Sorento switched from a truck-style body-on-frame configuration to a crossover unibody design that offers more interior space, with room for up to seven passengers.

The exterior was all new, with Kia design cues such as wraparound headlights lined up to the sporty grille (in a nice, friendly grin).

Read more: http://www.newsday.com/classifieds/cars/road-test-fun-powerful-12-kia-sorento-1.3891415

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The Hamsters Are Back

Yes, it's true... the hamsters are back... or at least they will be!

The KIA Hamsters that commercial viewers everywhere loved, particularly with the release of the Soul are making a comeback it could only be coincidence that this announcement comes shortly after the announcement of a new Soul unveiling for next year... but it's probably meant to be.

EGMCartech wrote:


Fans of Kia’s team of hip hamsters will be happy to learn that they’ll be returning in their fourth iteration as Kia seeks to keep their campaign going with their Soul. This comes after the announcement that Kia will be unveiling a new Soul next year.

According to AutomotiveNews, Reuters spoke with Kia’s executive vice-president of marketing and communications, Michael Sprague, who was noted for touting the success of the Soul and its associated marketing campaign.

Read more: http://www.egmcartech.com/2012/08/02/report-kias-hip-hamsters-return-with-the-new-kia-soul-debuting-next-year/

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