Category Archives: AutoPilot

2019 FIAT 500X
May 13, 2019

Overview

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Story Intro

As before, it comes with a free-wheeling (and fuel-saving) disconnect feature that engages the real wheels only when torque is required, thus stretching fuel dollars a bit further. The 500X is rated at 24 mpg in the city, 30 on the highway and 26 combined (slightly better than the previous non-turbo 2.4 with AWD and a nine-speed automatic transmission).

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2020 Jeep Gladiator
April 22, 2019

Overview

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Story Intro

From the front, the Gladiator looks like any other Jeep Wrangler, with a traditional slotted vertical grille, round headlights and a stout bumper. Behind the second-row seat is a five-foot-long box that’s capable of transporting up to 1,600 pounds of ATV, dirt bikes, camping gear and/or just about anything else you can imagine. Trailering capacity with the proper tow package tops out at 7,650 pounds.

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2019 Volkswagen Golf
March 25, 2019

Overview

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Story Intro

A minor facelift for 2018 improved on the Golf’s conservatively shaped appearance that is the automotive equivalent of a finely pressed suit. This is one car that VW’s designers seemed to have scrupulously avoided faddish or controversial shapes that might draw unwarranted attention. Mostly unchanged for 2019 is a passenger compartment that’s devoid of any hint of low-rent cost cutting. Both the front and rear seats are well bolstered and the soft-touch dashboard and controls would look right at home in more expensive German brands.

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2019 Kia Niro
February 25, 2019

Overview

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Story Intro

The Niro trio has arrived at a time of relatively affordable fuel prices. They’ll need to rely on practicality and price as well as economy of operation to make a dent in the marketplace. Note that Hyundai, Kia’s parent, has the similarly powered Ioniq hatchback models, plus the electric version of the Kona small wagon.

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2019 Jeep Renegade
January 28, 2019

Overview

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Story Intro

For 2019, the Renegade receives a number of updates. There’s a new hood and a grille with active shutters that close at higher speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag. There are also new wheel designs and now-optional LED headlights and tail lamps. In reality, these changes are barely discernible from the previous edition. It’s a similar story inside. There are slight adjustments to the instrument panel, an added smartphone holder and a new-look infotainment system.

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2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback
December 24, 2018

Overview

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Story Intro

On the outside, the Corolla Hatchback might still seem like an updated iM, except that the Hatchback is built on Toyota’s latest chassis architecture, which is claimed to be lighter and 60 percent stiffer. It also reduces the ride height by nearly half an inch for a lower center of gravity. The front and rear suspension components are also new and designed to provide better cornering precision and ride comfort.

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2019 Audi Q8
November 26, 2018

Overview

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Story Intro

The Q8’s fastback styling stands in contrast to the Q7’s square-back design that allows for a kid-zone third row (the five-passenger Q8 has two rows) plus additional cargo room, especially with the second and third rows folded flat. Although both models are built off the same platform, the Q8 is shorter by three inches, which also accounts for the Q7’s increased functionality.

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2019 Kia Forte
October 29, 2018

Overview

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Story Intro

Over the years, the Forte, along with many of its competitors, has grown up (physically and stylistically) to a point where it could easily qualify as a principal family sedan. Compared to the outgoing model, the 2019 Forte is more than three inches longer and nearly an inch wider. The distance between the front and rear wheels remains the same. A modest gain in roof height means more overall passenger space as well as increased cargo volume.

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2019 Genesis G70
September 24, 2018

Overview

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Story Intro

The interior strikes the correct balance between luxury and practicality. The driver-centric stitched-leather-covered dashboard comes with a trio of large dials for operating the various heating/cooling functions, and the eight-inch tablet-like touchscreen doesn’t look like an afterthought. The G70’s platform is based on the Kia Stinger hatchback (Kia is owned by Hyundai), but the G70 has been shortened by about three inches between the front and rear wheels.

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2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
August 27, 2018

Overview

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Story Intro

Mitsubishi is an automaker in transition, but the core values that the company was built on are still in place. Among them is the advanced engineering efforts that have resulted in the Outlander PHEV. For the uninitiated, PHEV stands for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, a system that advances the typical gasoline-electric hybrid to the next level in terms of efficiency.