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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 1998)
1998 AUTO REVIEW HYUNDAI Hyundai Accent GL T he big news in the 1998 line-up for Korea's largest automaker is the Accent, an entry-level small car which com petes against the likes of the Toyota Tercel and G eo M etro. Accent gets a new front and rear bum per fascia, taillamps, body-side moldings and restvled wheel covers. Also, the sporty GT model has been renamed the GSi with some added ameni ties now included as standard equipment. Earlier this vear, Hyundai rolled out the sports-Tiburon, a coupe version o f its Elantra. « Isuzu Rodeo LS An improved compact Rodeo debuts in the new model year w ith a fresh look. Expect a better ride, improved road handling, quieter interior and more powerful engine. T his Japanese niche player in the light truck segment will also revive the Amigo sport- utility som etim e next year as a 1998 model. T he Amigo, p an o f the automotive landscape from 1989 through 1994, was a Jeep-like tw o-door sport-util ity w ith a soft-top. T he Amigo and the Rodeo will share Isuzu’s Lafayette, Ind. production facility, but the Amigo won’t begin production until the Rodeo has ramped up satisfactorily. KIA Subaru Impreza 25RS A longer and wider Sephia hits the streets in the new model vear, with a Kia-built 1,8-liter engine instead o f a M azda unit. U nlike the 1997 line-up which offered three trim levels, only the RS and the LS versions will be available in 1998. For California, the optional 1,6-liter engine will no longer be of fered. O ther changes: T he Sportage baby sport-util ity gets a new, more rounded face and tail as well as a new two-door, soft top model available in the first quarter o f 98. SUBARU Suzuki Esteem Wagon Finally, a sport-utility vehicle, or something simi lar to one, is added to the fleet. T he all-new Forester wa^on shares the same chassis as the Impreza Outback Sport. Subaru has added a new version of the Impreza coupe, the 2.5RS, which packs a 2.5-liter engine instead o f the 2.2-liter. Its suspension, brakes, shift linkage, and interior have been tweaked. I he sporty Legacy 2.5GT, already available in sedan and wagon form, is now offered in a Limited sedan model. SUZUKI New to the Suzuki fleet is the Esteem Wagon, which was introduced in August as a 1998 model. It shares the Esteem sedans 95-horsepower, SO H C 1,6-liter four-cylinder engine and 97.6-inch wheel base, but its overall length has been stretched 5.9 inches. There is also plenty of cargo space behind the front passenger seats, up to 61 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. 26 \FR1CAN A.MER1CANSON « HEELS SSK»*', ISUZU
