Five Things You Need To Know About the 2016 Toyota RAV4

Five Things You Need To Know About the 2016 Toyota RAV4
Audi RS 3 Coming to America
Nissan Versa Under NHTSA Investigation
How Ferrari Designed the FXX K
Kia Optima Wagon Won’t Reach Production
Hyundai Genesis to get Twin-Turbo V6

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The RAV4 has always been popular, but Toyota is kicking things up with a number of enhancements and changes for 2016 that will help keep the car a top seller in its segment.

1. New Hybrid Model

Without a doubt, the most eye catching addition to the 2016 RAV4 is the new hybrid model. Available in XLE or Limited trim levels, the RAV4 Hybrid marks the eighth hybrid in Toyota's lineup. The electrified crossover will use a 2.5-liter four cylinder engine and will only come in all-wheel drive form. The company didn't announce any power or fuel efficiency numbers but both should be an increase over the regular all-wheel drive RAV4.

2. SE Trim level

Toyota is taking the positive feedback it received with the Camry SE and bringing that sporty trim level to the RAV4. That means it gets aggressive styling in the form of 18-inch alloy wheels, a unique front bumper design, LED headlights and taillights, a unique interior with black headliner and gunmetal trim in addition to paddle shifters.

3. Birds Eye View Camera and Perimeter Scan

This new birds eye view camera, which is similar to the surround-view camera that some of its competitors offer, is a first for Toyota. The car has four cameras that give the driver a panoramic view of their surroundings, in order to help with parking. While the sounds very familiar, the RAV4 will also come with something called Perimeter Scan, which gives the driver a live rotating 360 degree view of what is around the vehicle, helping them see objects that could be in the way.

4. Friendlier Interior

One of the biggest complaints we had with the last RAV4 was how some of its interior panels felt cheap. Toyota is addressing this with more soft-touch materials on the upper door panel and lower dash and by changing the bezel around the gear selector and window switches. Toyota has also updated the usability of its interior, with a new cup holder design that can accommodate bigger travel mugs with handles. There's also a new sunglasses holder and additional USB slots added to front and a 12-volt power outlet added in the rear.

5. New Styling

Finally, you'll be able to identify the 2016 RAV4 from its past iterations thanks to a revised design. A new front fascia now gives the RAV4 a face that's very similar to the Camry. There are available LED lights for the front and rear of the crossover, which provide an additional premium touch. Finally, there's a new silver skid plate design that gives the RAV4 a rugged look.

Discuss this story at our Toyota RAV4 Forum

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Audi RS 3 Coming to America

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Audi's high performance RS 3 will be available for the first time through U.S. dealers.

The model is currently available in Europe as a hatchback, but Audi of America CEO Scott Keogh said in an interview with Automotive News that the sedan will be a better for the U.S. where that body style is the only currently version currently available. Currently the RS 3 uses a five-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine to make 367 hp.

Keogh said Audi of America wants the car and that he is "very confident" the German luxury brand's American arm will sell it here. He didn't offer a timeline for when the hotter model might start showing up, but by offering it Audi will be able to compete directly with the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG that is already on sale here.

Discuss this article at our Audi forum

[Source: Automotive News]

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Nissan Versa Under NHTSA Investigation

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a preliminary investigation into about 360,000 Nissan Versa Notes and Versa Sedans.

The issue stems from a trim panel that covers the carpet to the right of the accelerator which can come loose and prevent free movement of the driver's right foot. Two dozen complaints have been lodged with NHTSA about the issue, which covers the 2013 to 2015 model year.

If a systemic issue is found, the investigation will result in a recall of the affected vehicles. Nissan says it is also looking into the problem and that it is fully cooperating with safety regulators.

Discuss this story at our Nissan Versa Forum

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How Ferrari Designed the FXX K

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Ferrari's FXX K just might be one of the most aesthetically appealing threatening track weapons on the market right now, but it didn't start out that way.

The company needed to find a way to marry the LaFerrari's already imposing design with aerodynamic enhancements that would give it appreciably improved performance without making it look like a purpose-built race car. For example, McLaren's track-only P1 GTR offers significantly greater performance potential than its street legal sibling, but it sacrifices aesthetics to achieve that. Ferrari just released a short video explaining how it designed the car.

Discuss this clip at our luxury lifestyle forum

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Kia Optima Wagon Won’t Reach Production

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Kia's Sportspace concept won't evolve into a station wagon version of the new Optima that debuted in New York last week.

"We looked at it. It's a beautiful car and obviously it's a big deal in Europe mainly because they love estates over there," Kia Motors America product planning vice president Orth Hendricks said.

The company hinted at the possibility of an estate version of the Optima last March when it showcased the Sportspace concept in Switzerland.

"What we found is that [an Optima wagon customer] is right on top of our Sorento buyer." The Optima is Kia's best-selling product in the U.S. where last year the company reported 159,020 sales compared to the Sorento, which was its third-best seller last year at 102,520 units. Combined, they accounted for 45 percent of Kia's U.S. sales in 2014.

A wagon version of the Optima might serve to elevate Kia's profile in the European auto market, but that won't be enough to justify the business case.

"We looked at the volume and we looked at the number of people that would choose it and what it would cost," he said.

But bridging the gap from show concept to series production of a salable product would be expensive. Kia builds Optimas for this market and globally at its West point, Ga. plant. "It would be a whole other set of tooling to bring all that stuff in," Hendricks said.

So for now, the possibility of an Optima station wagon will remain firmly in conceptual territory.

Discuss this article at our Kia forum

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Hyundai Genesis to get Twin-Turbo V6

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Hyundai plans to introduce a new turbocharged engine option for its Genesis sedan.

Sometime in 2017 or 2018, the Hyundai Genesis will begin to offer a new twin-turbo V6 that will put out roughly the same power as the current 420-hp 5.0-liter V8 while weighing much less.

The new engine is part of a company-wide move towards downsized, turbocharged engines that is meant to improve fuel economy. "You're going to see smaller displacement, more use of turbocharging. A lot of it is weight-related, all of it is CAFE-related," said Dave Zuchowski, CEO of Hyundai Motor America.

Before the twin-turbo engine arrives in the Genesis, other vehicles in Hyundai's lineup will move to small turbo motors, the first example of which is the redesigned Tucson which uses a 1.6-liter turbocharged four cylinder for motivation.

[Source: Automotive News]

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Car Reviews

Monday, 6 April 2015