The Mazda6 is the epitome of the ugly duckling finding its unexpected swan. Anonymous in its first two generations, Mazda threw its Kodo design language at the third-gen version and ended up with one of the most distinctive four-doors around. Meanwhile, with the EV specter hanging over most car firms, Mazda remains a hybrid hold-out, maintaining there’s still plenty to squeeze out of existing technology before we look to batteries. Does the Mazda6 deliver? Read on for our full review.
Electric cars generally settle into one of two camps: the outlandish, like Renault’s Twizy, or the discrete, like Nissan’s Note. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV, however, straddles both. Its “space jelly-bean” looks are certainly eye-catching, but they’re also borrowed wholesale from the regular gas-powered version available in Japan and Europe, rather than an EV flourish for its own sake. The i-MiEV is also one of the US’ cheapest EVs, though with prices starting at $21,625 (after tax incentives) it still commands a premium over more traditionally fuelled cars. Can the i-MiEV’s frugal charms win us over? Read on for the full SlashGear review.
BMW doesn’t believe that crossover need mean compromise, and the BMW X1 is the “premium compact” it intends to prove that with. Headed to the US for the first time this month, the smallest of BMW’s X-model SUVs has already carved itself a niche in Europe. Can BMW light a fire underneath the crossover segment, and deliver a small SUV that delivers both an elevated driving position and the sort of driving dynamics the German marque is known for?
Hyundai is showing its commitment to recycling, using the same name for two pretty different attempts at the crossover SUV market. 2013 sees not one but two Hyundai Santa Fe models: one – the “Santa Fe” – with seven seats and intended to replace the Veracruz, and the other – the “Santa Fe Sport” – trimming the wheelbase, dropping two of the seats and taking on the Ford Escape and other midrange crossovers. We caught up with the Santa Fe Sport, the first to hit the forecourt, to see whether the brand can handle two personalities.
The 2013 Cadillac ATS has some serious challenges ahead of it. Mid-life crisis convertible aside, there’s no car segment so fraught with identity issues as the compact sport sedan. So far, the BMW 3-Series has been the “I’ve made it” model to beat, a heady Teutonic mixture of performance, prestige and affordability, but Cadillac is hoping the smallest model in its range can light an American torch to rival it. The specter of the baby Beemer looms large over each aspect of the ATS, but that’s not to say the German icon has things all its own way. We caught up with Cadillac at a 2013 ATS preview to see whether the all-new car was truly as “world-class” as promised.
The segment of Small Cars With Unusual Looks is definitely niche in its numbers, but that hasn’t stopped Kia’s Soul from becoming one of the company’s best-sellers. Eye-catching styling and a price that starts not only under $20,000 but in fact from $13,900 – despite offering five seats and lashings of kit – have added up to a no-brainer purchase for many, and now with the 2012 model year Kia hopes to get even more onboard its Soul train. Read on for the full SlashGear review.
Can a mainstream SUV really be fun to drive? Mazda thinks so, and so it tore up the rule book and started from scratch with the new CX-5. The crossover-SUV debuts Mazda’s SKYACTIV technology, a combination of weight reduction, efficiency improvement and design rethinking that, the company promises us, makes it a credible alternative to today’s hybrid and all-electric cars, despite using petrol or diesel powerplants. Too good to be true, and will the CX-5′s aggressive styling grow on us? We put on our finest leatherette driving gloves to find out.
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