Kia's Koup Pulls Off A Coup
Kia hasn't been prominent on these pages before (with good reason), but if the Koup makes the transition from concept to production, that may change. Unveiled during the New York auto show, the Koup is the first model to bring Kia out from the shadow of its parent company, Hyundai, to establish it as a brand worthy of competing with Honda and Scion.
While the exterior has been criticized for being an amalgamation of designs pulled from other marques, Kia's craftsmen grabbed all the right cues from Honda and Mitsubishi to create an attractive two-door that blends a dynamic shape with a fair amount of functionality. In concept form, the Koup features a panoramic glass roof, front and rear carbon fiber diffusers and Brembo calibers with cross-drilled rotors. Under the hood, a turbocharged, 2.0-liter Theta II four-cylinder engine with direct injection sends 290bhp and 289lb-ft of torque through the front wheels. A MacPherson strut assembly and coil springs are employed up front, while an independent, dual-link arrangement handles rear suspension duties. Kia insists the Koup will have the chops to handle spirited driving and has added a strut tower bar along with a Continuous Damping Control (CDC) system to balance ride comfort and corner-carving.
Good things may be on the way from Kia and we wouldn't be surprised if that direct-injected turbo four finds its way into the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe.
The 4DSC Badge Is Back On The Maxima
Those who remember the 1980s giving way to the 1990s, might recall a particular advertising gimmick Nissan employed to fan the flames of the third-generation Maxima. The idea behind the campaign was to stick a '4DSC' sticker on the back and call it a 'four-door sports car'. And with a VE30DE V6 producing 190bhp, a limited-slip diff and an independent rear suspension (something that didn't show up again on the Maxima until 2004), it was a suitable ride for pistonheads with a few extra people to schlep. Nissan is bringing back the 4DSC designation for the 2009 Maxima and it picks up where the old model left off.
The new Maxima has grown in width (1.5 inches) and style, with an exterior that employ's Nissan's new design direction, dubbed 'Liquid Motion'. We're not entirely sure what that means, but the bulging fenders, swooping beltline and L-shaped headlamps-also expected on the next-generation Z-set it apart from a glut of anonymous sedans.
Power is provided by the VQ35DE, 3.5-liter DOHC V6 and sends 290bhp and 261lb-ft of torque through a revised version of Nissan's Xtronic CVT. Shifting duties are handled automatically in either standard mode, the new 'Ds' (Drive Sport) setting or via steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Suspending the new Maxima is an independent strut/coil arrangement in front that utilizes a number of aluminum components to reduce unsprung weight, while a multi-link setup with separate shocks and springs is mounted out back. ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Brake Assist all work their magic on the four-wheel disc brakes framed inside standard 10-spoke, 18-inch wheels with P245/45/18 rubber, or optional five-spoke 19-inch rollers wrapped in P245/40/19 high-performance summer tires.
Option up the Maxima over its expected sub-$30,000 base price and you'll be able to enjoy heated/cooled seats, a heated steering wheel, a nine-speaker Bose stereo, a seven-inch monitor, a rear view camera and Nissan's hard drive-based navigation system with XM NavTraffic. Sales will begin later this year.