: Scats arc firm, highly sup-
' portive and position the
driver precisely for piloting
the little pistol with prodi
gious promptness.
The VW's ergonomics
are similarly straight and the
GTI’s controls operate with
a strong, solid sensation that
simply screams superiority.
Starting at $21,490, the 2007
Volkswagen GTI has retak
en the hot hatch hat from its
rivals at Honda and Mini.
Minivans aren’t about
looks; these vehicles are the
definition of substance over
style. With the possible
exception of the modem-art
Nissan Quest, the impor
tant details of a minivan are
all in its specification sheet.
Kia’s second-generation
Sedona has nothing to be
ashamed of in this depart
ment, as the larger, more
refined minivan is equipped
to match the competition
on all fronts.
You can’t be a player in
the minivan game without
dual power sliding doors,
heated scats, adjustable
pedals, a third-row seat that
folds into the
floor and a full
complement of
airbags, and the
Sedona has 'em.
The redesigned
dash is more useful
than before, and the
seats are more comfort
able. Improved quality
brings the Sedona right up
to par with the rest of the
class. Three-zone climate
control, a rear-seat DVD
player and power second-
row windows make the pas
senger cabin a comfortable
place to be.
Underneath the uphol
stery and comfortable
seating, the Sedona follows
the most basic of minivan
templates; a V6 engine
powering the front wheels,
automatic transmission and
a freeway-friendly suspen
sion. The 3.8-liter V6 is
an all-new engine, with
continuously variable valve
timing and smooth opera
tion. The Sedona’s 244
horsepower easily enables
it to keep up with the herd
in suburbia, and the new
five-speed automatic trans
mission is state-of-the-art.
Freshened styling gives the
Sedona
L “
a stronger resemblance to
the rest of the Kia family,
though from 50 feet away
it’s still a Generic Minivan.
It’s not sexy, but then
minivans aren’t supposed to
be. The new Sedona carries
a lot of stuff, drives smooth
ly and makes a good mobile
command center for life in
the suburbs. As a minivan,
that's exactly what it’s sup
posed to do. With a starting
price of $22,985 and more
standard equipment titan
the Dodge Grand Caravan,
Kia's got an attractive deal
on its hands.
Saturn offers a more
environmentally friendly
Vue model this summer
- the Greenline. Officially
unveiled to the public at the
Detroit International Auto
Show, the Vue Greenline is
expected to be the lowest-
cost hybrid-powered SUV
on the market.
The powertrain con
sists of an electric
motor/generator
L coupled to a
2.4-liter four-
cylinder
gaso
line
engine and a four-speed
automatic transmission.
The simple and flexible
hybrid design provides
additional power from the
motor/generator during
acceleration while allow
ing 20 percent greater fuel
economy by shutting off
the engine at idle and cut
ting off fuel delivery during
deceleration.
The Vue Greenline is
expected to deliver approxi
mately 27 mpg during city
driving and up to 32 mpg
during highway operation.
A price increase over
its stable mates of $1,500
to $2,000 - roughly half
that of other SUV hybrids
is anticipated. Full vehicle
price is projected to start
at less than $23,000.
Saturn was able to keep
the Greenline hybrid Vue
in low budget territory by
combining the electric drive
motor with the alternator,
mounted in front of the
engine, eliminating the
necessity of a major re-engi
neering for fitment.
In terms of its appear
ance. the Vue Greenline
Hybrid will be similar to
other Vue models, but will
display special badging. It
will become the third GM
hybrid production vehicle,
with production slated
to start July 1 at Saturn's
Springhill. Tenn. plant.