William Maley

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 18, 2013 Volkswagen is planning to shutter all of its naturally-aspirated engines within the next three to four years. This news came from Volkswagen’s executive vice president for group quality, Mark Trahan. “You have to have a turbo these days. We only have one normally aspirated gas engine, and when we go to the next generation vehicle that it’s in, it will be replaced. So three, four years maximum.” That engine is the 3.6L VR6 that is found in the Passat, CC, and Touareg. Source: The Detroit News William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 18, 2013 When we have brought you spy shots of the next-generation Chrysler 200, it was usually under the cloak of a Alfa Romeo Giulietta. But this week, the first spy shots of the next-gen 200 in its own flesh has been released. While Chrysler went crazy with the amount of camoflage on this mule, we can take away some information about the new 200. For starters, the next-gen 200 will adopt a four-door coupe silhouette. It also looks like the 200 will come with a short decklid with a spoiler. There isn't as many clues with the front end, though we're guessing a sleeker look is in play. Power will come from two engines; the 2.4L four-cylinder from the Dodge Dart and 3.2L V6 from the new Cherokee. Also coming from the Cherokee is the new nine-speed automatic transmission. Source: Autoblog William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 18, 2013 Remember the Kia Amanti? No? Well to be fair, not many people remember at all either. The Amanti was Kia's first attempt at a full-size sedan that was introduced back in 2003 as a 2004 model. The car was a flop; weird styling cues, poor performance, and Kia's not so sterling reputation at the time sealed the Amanti's fate and in 2009, it was gone. Four years on, Kia is giving the full-size sedan another chance with the 2014 Cadenza. With a more powerful engine, better styling, long list of features, and more, Kia hopes that the second time is the charm. Is it? I spent some time with the Cadenza to find out. The Cadenza's design is, well, kind of boring. This is from Kia, a brand that has produced some very stylish and distinctive vehicles; the Optima, Sportage, new Forte, and Soul. The Cadenza's shape is playing it safe, which I can understand. But with the likes of the new Chevrolet Impala, Toyota Avalon, Chrysler 300, and Hyundai Azera, the Cadenza looks very plain. The overall profile reminds me of the current BMW 5-Series, especially in the back where two models have a similar design. The front end has Kia's tiger grille and distinctively shaped headlights. The side has a bold door crease and a set of nineteen-inch wheels. Moving inside, the Cadenza shows that Kia has learned lot about doing a luxurious interior. You'll find plenty of stitched leather, soft-touch material, and wood trim lining the dashboard and door panels. Even the key for the Cadenza was done with a piano black finish. The one part I wished Kia could have done somewhat better is the center stack button layout. All of the buttons are similar to each other in shape and size, and you have to look to figure which button takes you to XM and not the CD player. Not a fun experience when you're on the move.Comfort is hit and miss with Cadenza. Passengers will find a pleasant amount of head and legroom, and heated seats for all. The driver gets a ten-way power adjustable seat with three-level heating and ventilation. The passenger only gets two-level heating and a four-way power seat with no height adjustment (not even manual adjustment). Both features I would expect in a vehicle that carries a pricetag of $41,900. It gets worse when you consider the 2014 Chevrolet Impala I had a few weeks back came with two-level heated and ventilated seat and height adjustment for the passenger. Add in the fact that Impala came with a pricetag that $2,490 less than the Cadenza and it's not looking that good. As for tech, the Cadenza starts off with a configurable center gauge display. It's a bit interesting Kia decided to with this instead of a large trip computer screen and a analog speedometer since it looks a little out of place. Still, the screen was vibrant and able to show key information clearly. There is also Kia's next-generation UVO infotainment system. I'll be diving more into this in a separate review. That's it for the software, how is the hardware? On to page two! Powering the Cadenza is the same engine you'll find under the Hyundai Azera; a 3.3L direct-injected V6 with 293 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque. This is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The V6 is very lively engine and moves the 3,792 pound vehicle with no sweat. The six-speed automatic is very refined with smooth and quick shifts. I wished Kia did not put in paddle shifters in the Cadenza since it feels out of place. Fuel economy numbers for the 19 City/28 Highway/22 Combined. My week's average in the Cadenza was around 21.2 MPG. The Cadenza ride and handling are somewhat surprising for a full size sedan. Driving around town, on the freeway, or on the back roads, the Cadenza provided a very refined ride. Also refined is the Cadenza's quietness. Kia used a lot of sound deadening throughout the vehicle and you can hear difference. As I wrote in my notes, the Cadenza is as quiet or even quieter than the Impala I had a few weeks back.Show the Cadenza a curvy road and this is where things get interesting. The suspension provide firmness and a limited amount of body roll. Steering is light, but provided good feel. I would say the Cadenza is about the same as the Impala in driving fun, but I would put the Impala somewhat higher as I felt more confident in it, mostly due to the Impala's heavier steering feel. One other feature I should mention is the Cadenza's Advance Smart Cruise Control (ASCC) which comes part of the Technology Package. The Advance Smart Cruise Control was one of the smoothest systems I have come across. Keeping up with the flow of traffic was no problem as the system was able to smoothly speed up and slow down. Even when a car cut in front the Cadenza, the system was able to slow down the vehicle and keep a safe distance.Kia almost has a real winner with the 2014 Cadenza. They learned from their past mistakes with the Amanti and produced a vehicle that is close to a very worthy option. The only items that gives me pause are missing items on a vehicle with an almost $42,000 pricetag and a confusing center stack layout. If Kia can remedy those two items, then we'll have a real contender on our hands. Disclaimer: Kia provided the Cadenza, insurance, and one tank of gas. Year: 2014 Make: Kia Model: Cadenza Trim: N/A Engine: 3.3L GDI DOHC V6 Driveline: Front-Wheel Drive, Six-Speed Automatic Transmission Horsepower @ RPM: 293 @ 6,400 Torque @ RPM: 255 lb-ft @ 5,200 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 19/28/22 Curb Weight: 3,792 lbs Location of Manufacture: Hwasung, South Korea Base Price: $35,100.00 As Tested Price: $41,900.00* (Includes $800.00 destination charge) Options: Technology Package - $3,000 Luxury Package - $3,000 White Interior Package - $0.00 William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 17, 2013 It's no secret that General Motors has been keeping a very close eye on Tesla. Back in July, we reported that CEO Dan Akerson created a group to study Tesla and how it could effect GM. Now it seems GM wants to take Tesla on. According to the Reuters and the Wall Street Journal, General Motors is working on a electric vehicle with a 200 Mile range and a pricetag of $30,000. This information came from GM's vice president of global product programs, Doug Parks. This comes on the heels on Tesla's founder and chief executive Elon Musk announcing a compact electric sedan known internally as Gen 3 due in 2016. This sedan will have a 200 mile range and cost somewhere around $35,000. The big challenge for this new model is the price of the batteries admits Parks. Current battery technology can allow this, but the costs to implement this are too high for the time being. GM hasn't given a possible date of when this magical vehicle will be shown. Source: Reuters, Wall Street Journal William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 17, 2013 Analysts are predicting that new car sales could reach pre-crash levels possibly next year. Sales in 2014 are projected to rise to 16.1 million vehicles, just shy of the 16.15 million cars sold in 2007. Part of this increase is coming from automakers building better products. Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors are real contenders in the compact and midsize marketplace. Also, Korean automakers are giving everyone in the industry a run for their money. “It would be one thing if the domestics were going to get better in cars and pull back on trucks, but they aren’t. You see a rising level of competitiveness for the domestics across the whole industry, which is forcing the Asians to be more aggressive just to maintain where they are,” said Tom Libby, an analyst for R.L. Polk & Co. Another part of this increase is due to automakers not laying on the incentives or dumping a lot of vehicles into fleets. “It’s not just the number 16 that’s amazing. It’s the fact that it’s coming effortlessly. We’re not dumping cars and trucks into the fleets. We’re not using humungous incentives to move them. It’s a reflection of people’s willingness to buy and the strength of the product out there,” said George Magliano, chief economist for IHS Automotive. Source: Bloomberg William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 17, 2013 A new report from Edmunds says that Volkswagen still has its eyes set on sending the next-generation Phaeton to the U.S., but when that will be is up in the air. "There will come a time when it is right to bring it back to the U.S. marketplace, but what we haven't defined yet is when that will be," said Volkswagen of America president and CEO Jonathan Browning. Sources tell Edmunds that at the moment, the Phaeton's return is at least three years away. Considering a previous report that had said the reveal of the next-generation Phaeton will happen in later 2014 or early 2015, that puts the possible return of the Phaeton in 2018. We'll be keeping a close eye to see if this plays out or if some changes happen. Source: Edmunds William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article