Small cars, sedans get a shot of sex appeal
Lights, camera, action! The Los Angeles Auto Show is Hollywood personified. Even a car with new headlights — ahem, Porsche 911 Targa — basks in the cinematic spotlight. This year there were plenty of new passenger cars — everything from the latest Honda Civic and its arch rival, the Hyundai Elantra, to Lincoln’s latest expression of luxury — and many more.
Subaru Impreza Se dan Conce pt
Following the debut of the Impreza hatchback, Subaru showed its four- door sibling. The Impreza Sedan Concept is part of the company’s nextgeneration of vehicles, as envisioned in its “Prominence 2020” vision, first announced in May 2014.
Positioned as the entrylevel model in the lineup, the Impreza presents Subaru’s new “Dynamic & Solid” design language — something the company says imparts a “three-dimensional” look.
The Concept is 4,555 millimetres long, 1,880 millimetres wide and rides on a 2,670 millimetre wheelbase. The inclusion of P235/40R19 tires finishes off a handsome car.
Subaru is in the doldrums at the moment and any stylistic infusion is something that comes as a big shot in the arm. In this case, it speaks to the un-quirking of the brand’s design language.
When the new-look is arriving is anybody’s guess, but for Subaru’s sake let’s hope it is soon rather than later.
2017 Hyundai Elantra
As one of Hyundai’s best- selling models, the sixth- generation Elantra bring snappy styling, new powertrains, a better ride and lower noise. While it is longer ( by 20 mm) and wider ( 25 mm), it retains its 2,700 mm wheelbase.
The ride and noise improvements come from the use of more high- strength steel, increasing torsional rigidity by 29.5 per cent. The 2.0- litre f our- cylinder engine that twists out 147 horsepower and 132 lb.-ft. of torque can be paired with six-speed manual and automatic transmissions. The other engine is a 1.4- litre turbocharged four that makes 128 horses and 156 lb.- ft. of torque at a low 1,400 rpm; it will be mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The Elantra lands in the first quarter of 2016.
2016 Honda Civic Coupe
Having launched the third revamped Civic in the past three years, the 10th- generation Honda Civic Coupe is set to join the lineup. As with its sedan counterpart, the Coupe rides on a longer wheelbase, up 74 millimetres. The Civic Coupe is also 48 millimetres wider than the previous model.
This gives it a purposeful stance and significantly more rear seat space than ever before — according to Honda, up by a whopping 127 millimetres. Inside, the good news is the wonky two-tier dash has gone in favour of a more conventional set of dials and some very nice materials.
The Coupe will launch with two more powerful and fuelefficient powertrains. The lower trim levels feature a 2.0- litre twin- cam that’s good for 158 horsepower and 138 lb.- ft. of torque, which is up 15 horsepower and nine lb.ft. compared to the outgoing 1.8- litre engine. It will be offered with a six-speed manual and Honda’s continuously variable transmission ( CVT). Moving up to the mid- and high trims brings a new 1.5L turbocharged four- cylinder. that spins out 174 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque.
The Coupe will join Honda’s lineup early next year.
2016 Lincoln MKZ
The revamped Lincoln MKZ brings style in a solid offering that has some serious attention to detail — the grille and LED headlights both feature the Lincoln star embedded in the design. The cabin is, naturally, lavish and brings with it the creature comforts demanded of a luxury car — everything from buttery leather to a fully retractable panoramic moonroof and “concert-quality” Revel sound system.
The MKZ arrives with a Lincoln- exclusive 3.0- litre, twin- turbocharged V6 that pushes a healthy 400 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque when teamed with the allwheel- drive system and its torque vectoring; the frontdriver makes do with 350 horsepower.
The second powertrain option is the front- wheel drive Hybrid; it blends a 2.0- litre engine with an electric motor to deliver 245 horsepower.
The MKZ is set to arrive in the summer of 2016.