2012 Kia Soul+ Review by Carey Russ
A "mid-cycle product freshening" seems to be part of the life cycle of every car line, and that can be anything from minor trim changes to fairly significant alterations. The Kia Soul enters its third year for 2012, and gets its freshening.
This freshening takes advantage of recent changes at Kia and parent Hyundai to improve drivetrains and cabin electronics. Interiors have been upgraded, and safety features like Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) and Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC) added. Trim levels are standard, + (Plus) and ! (Exclaim); the Sport is no longer offered.
No worries as the two engines available are both new to the Soul, with more power and improved fuel efficiency, which is also helped by new six-speed manual and automatic transmission. The base engine is now a 1.6-liter, 138-horsepower four-cylinder with direct fuel injection, an increase of 16 horsepower. The + and ! get a 2.0-liter four with 164 hp, up from the previous 142. Later in the model year an "Eco Package" with "Idle Stop and Go" (ISG) will be offered. Similarly to what hybrids do, it stops the engine when the car is stopped, as at a traffic light, and automatically restarts when the driver's foot is taken off the brake pedal. It should improve city mileage.
BMW M6 Coupe
BMW M6 CoupeOut of a passion for elite performance and an appreciation of exclusive style comes the allure for which M Automobiles are renowned - and which can now be experienced in two new forms. The new BMW M6 Coupe and BMW M6 Convertible offer top-class performance attributes and an ambience defined by luxury and innovative comfort features. In so doing, the high-performance sports cars developed by BMW M GmbH exude a level of poise and assurance unmatched in the premium segment of the executive class - and reflected authentically in the expressive design of the two models. The precise interplay of their high-revving V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology and 412 kW/560 hp, a seven-speed M Double Clutch Transmission with Drivelogic, Active M Differential, model-specific chassis technology, an ideal weight balance and optimised aerodynamic properties serves up a particularly full-blooded M experience.
The conceptual harmony characteristic of M Automobiles also incorporates the specific features of the two models' body structures. The new BMW M6 Coupe has a dynamically contoured, lightweight roof made from carbon fibre- reinforced plastic. The new BMW M6 Convertible, meanwhile, is fitted with a high-quality soft-top, complete with eye-catching "fin" styling and fully electronic opening mechanism. All of which allows the driver and passengers to enjoy the dynamic performance of a high-performance sports car in harmony with the natural forces of the sun and wind.
The range's suspension consists of a drop-forged “I” beam with reverse “Elliot” steering knuckles in front and a fully floating banjo type axle with single
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