By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(April 24, 2014) By the time the New York Auto Show show opened last week, the weather was warmer back home in Michigan, despite an early week snowfall that helped Detroit eclipse the 1880 record of 93.2 inches of snow. And if you could wade through the nonsense, like putting the 2015 Mustang atop the Empire State Building 50 years after the first time this stunt was performed, there were many things to see on the floor of the Jacob Javitz Convention Center.

2015 Hyundai Sonata

It’s hard to believe that this is the seventh generation Sonata. Just yesterday Hyundai was a bit player in the U.S. market building cars that were, to be kind, oddly styled. However, the introduction of the sixth generation Sonata and Hyundai’s “Fluidic Sculpture” design language made buyers sit up and take notice, and not want to gouge their eyes out. The 2015 version, which will be built in Hyundai’s Montgomery, Ala., plant, takes the Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design themes recently shown on the latest Genesis, and brings them into the mainstream.

I’m reminded of the move Chrysler made at the turn of the millennium, trading its forward looking designs for those that were more refined and more conducive to building a coherent brand language. Almost overnight Chrysler sales began to slide. People hadn’t bought the previous cars because they were technical or quality leaders, they bought them because they looked sleeker, sportier and different from everything else on the road.

Hyundai may soon find itself in the same predicament if its aspirations exceed buyers’ image of the company and its vehicles. Hyundai may see itself as more of a premium value play, but do its customers see things the say way? Will they appreciate the new direction after five or so years of evocative styling attitude?

Once again, the Sonata is a four-cylinder only car line. SE, Limited and Sport models get a revised 2.4-liter producing 185 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque. Sport 2.T models feature a 245 horsepower, 260 lb-ft of torque engine. Both are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. With luck, the Hyundai engineers have spent as much time refining these setups as they have squeezing out more power and fuel economy.

There’s the expected list of tech, including seven airbags (a driver’s knee bag keeps the driver upright and in place in a collision), Forward Collision Warning, Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning stability control, traction control, ABS, Smart Cruise Control with Full-Stop Assist, and Lane Change Assist. This latter feature alerts the driver to an approaching vehicle when the turn signal is activated

Hyundai says that, unlike its competition, the Sonata measures up as a full-size car in terms of its EPA size classification, and that its engineers spent a lot of time working to reduce road and wind noise. The engine note was tuned to be more pleasant, sound absorbers were added to the floorpan, and an underbody tray made of fiberglass expansion board both cuts noise and improves aerodynamics.

The new Sonata goes on sale this summer.

2015 Toyota Camry

Going in the opposite direction of the Sonata

The midsize segment is the toughest battlefield the auto industry has to offer. Want proof? Look no further than the 2015 Toyota Camry. Just three years into its lifecycle, Toyota has decided to revamp the sedan, making it both more stylish and more competitive. Except for the roof, every body panel is new, more than 2,000 parts have been revised, and the amount of soft-touch materials used in the interior have been increased.

They even went so far as to name Monte Kaehr — an American — as chief engineer for the Camry.

The 2015 Camry is 1.8 inches longer, has a 0.4-inch wider track, and additional spot welds in the door opening flanges for greater body rigidity. The electric power steering has be retuned for better on-center feel, and the brakes have a revised booster for better pedal feel. The base engine is a 2.5-liter inline four, with the option of a 3.5-liter V6 or the 2.5-liter (in Atkinson cycle form) mated to Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive and E-CVT. The non-hybrid engines are mated to a six-speed automatic.

LED high- and low-beam headlights with auto-static leveling are available, a first in the class, and two new trim levels, XSE and Hybrid SE, join the SE, LE and XLE. The SE and XSE have a unique mesh grille and front fascia, and unique suspension tuning. The XSE sits on 18-in wheels and tires and features unique dampers, firmer bushings, higher rate coil springs and unique power steering tuning. Hybrid SE model suspension tuning is claimed to be “eco-fun” and feature a front anti-roll bar, and new damper valve structure and control arm bushings.

As expected, the 2015 Camry can be purchased with Lane Departure Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Collision System with Auto High Beams, and Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

It arrives in Toyota dealerships this fall.

2015 Kia Sedona

A sign of life in the minivan segment

Unlike many automakers who have abandoned the segment, Kia introduced its latest minivan in New York. The 2015 Sedona completes the design makeover begun under the company’s chief designer Peter Schreyer, and adds a new luxury trim level — SXL — that will be available when the minivan launches toward the end of this year.

Though it sits on a 1.6-inch longer wheelbase, the Sedona is nearly the same length overall due to shorter front and rear overhangs. Seventy-six percent of the body is formed using press hardened ultra-high-strength (UHSS) and high-strength steel (HSS), which includes UHSS tubes inside the A-pillars to help better distribute impact loads. Structural adhesives and large-diameter welds also contribute to an increase in the Sedona’s body rigidity.

The rear crossmember bushings have been revised, the rear subframe boasts longer trailing arms and additional rear strut reinforcement, and Amplitude Selected Dampers are used front and rear to improve both ride and handling. A 3.3-liter direct-injection V6 from the Cadenza sedan and Sorento CUV replaces the 3.5-liter engine used previously. It produces 276 hp at 6,000 rpm, 248 lb-ft of torque at 5,200 rpm, and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Standard safety kit includes stability and traction control, ABS, Brake Assist, Hill-start Assist, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Corner Brake Control and Roll Over Mitigation. Optional equipment includes Vehicle Stability Management, Forward Collision Warning, Smart Cruise Control, and Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross Traffic Alert

Though overall width and height are virtually unchanged, the new Sedona has more front shoulder room; superior leg room in the front, second and third rows; as well as a slightly higher hip-point for better outward visibility. Available in both seven- and eight-passenger layouts, the Slide-n-Stow tracked second row seating slides and folds upright, eliminating the need to remove the middle seats when hauling large items. You also can order second row “First Class” lounge seating.

It can be positioned rearward to greatly increase legroom and features retractable lower leg rests. The SXL has standard Nappa leather seating surfaces throughout, the same chromium-free leather used in Kia’s K900 luxury sedan.

2015 Dodge Charger

Getting a lifestyle lift to replace the old face of Dodge with the new

So why cover the Charger and not the Corvette Z06 Convertible? Simple. Not only is the Charger a higher volume vehicle, there’s more change afoot than on the Corvette. It’s basically a Z06 coupe that’s been chopped to make a drop top. Nevertheless — except for the front fenders, hood and fascia, and a mild tail lift — it doesn’t look like a lot has changed. However, Chrysler assures us that nearly every outer panel has been changed, with the roof and rear doors being the only panels left unmolested.

It may seem a retrograde step to trade the raptor-like prow of the current Charger for a more rectangular nose, but there’s method to the madness. The freshened styling brings the Charger more in line with the next generation of Chrysler and Dodge vehicles. Think of it as laying some Dart design cues over the brawny Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger structure.

Nothing has changed under the hood, but the 5.7-liter Hemi and 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 now mate to an eight-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission. This gives 31 highway mpg in V6 guise. Plus, the SXT and SE get the option all-wheel drive with front axle disconnect to help fuel economy. It automatically switches to all-wheel drive when slip is detected, in cold weather or when the wipers are activated. The axles and axle housings on both rear- and all-wheel drive models are made of cast aluminum to reduce weight.

On the inside, Dodge has fitted a new corporate three-spoke steering wheel, seven-inch reconfigurable gauge cluster, increased the number of trim combinations, and revised the center stack. Engineers also replaced the mechanical linkage of the shifter with an electronic switch with tactile and visual cues for gear selection. This design reduces shift effort and the length of the shift throws.

Safety tech changes include the addition of Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Brake Assist, Forward Collision Warning-Plus, and the addition of dynamic gridlines to the backup camera’s in-car view. The forward collision system provides autonomous braking, and can slow or even bring the vehicle to a stop when a collision appears

The Dodge Charger offers more than 80 safety and security features, including many that are new for 2015. New available features for the model year include Full-speed Forward Collision Warning-Plus, which provides autonomous braking and, under certain circumstances, slows or brings vehicle to full stop when collision is imminent. The revised cruise control unit not only maintains distance to the cars ahead independent of speed setting, it can bring the Charger to a complete stop in traffic.

2015 Nissan Murano

A vehicle to fire the passions of midsize SUV buyers

Nissan’s first generation Murano was a handsome five-passenger SUV that you could spot a mile away. The second generation was more luxurious and more bland, and did nothing to build on the unique qualities of the first. The third generation, just rolled out  in New York, taps into the unique looks of the first and luxury of the second to create a vehicle Nissan hopes will fire the passions of buyers in the tough midsize SUV segment.

The powertrain isn’t “flux capacitor” exciting, having been pulled directly from the Altima with which the Murano shares its platform.

That means a 3.5-liter V6 mated to a CVT transmission driving either the front wheels or all four, depending on which box you check while ordering. There are four trim levels — S, SV, SL and Platinum — and a load of electronic minders and keepers. These include Moving Object Detection, Blind Spot Warning with radar-based Cross Traffic Alert, Predictive Forward Collision Warning, and Forward Emergency Braking.

It will be interesting to see how buyers respond to the Murano’s “floating roof” design and expressive styling. However, the redesign makes the crossover a standout in an increasingly crowded segment.

2015 Golf SportWagen

The last Golf out instead of the first new Jetta in

At one time in Europe, Volkswagen sold both a Jetta and a Golf station wagon that were nearly identical, except for the front fascia. That idea didn’t last long, and VW dropped the Golf SportWagen in favor of the Jetta. All that changes with the introduction of the seventh generation Golf. Built on VW’s innovative MQB platform, the new Golf can be stretched and twisted any number of ways to create new vehicles.

Adding a wagon to the lineup is easy. These same building blocks will be used to create the CrossBlue crossover and the replacement for the Tiguan, as well as the next-generation Jetta sedan.



The Golf SportWagen is lighter, longer, wider and lower than the current Jetta SportWagen. That’s not surprising since that car is based on the fifth generation Golf platform. Rear leg and shoulder room is increased slightly, as is headroom front and rear, and cargo space is up nearly 10% when the rear seats are folded flat. As a result, VW claims the Golf SportWagen offers a sportier alternative to compact SUVs, despite building and selling the rather sporty Tiguan.

A 1.8-liter turbocharged, direct-injected inline four-cylinder engine mates to either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. VW will offer its new turbo diesel mated to either a six-speed manual or DSG dual-clutch automatic as well, though it is uncertain whether the 4motion all-wheel drive shown on the concept will make it into production. Those hoping for a GTI-powered SportWagen with lowered suspension, larger tires and aero add-ons will probably be disappointed, though a SportWagen R would be quite interesting.

The new SportWagen offers a number of new options. These include a panoramic sunroof, 12-way power driver’s seat, automatic climate control, Bi-Xenon headlamps with LED DRLs, Park Distance Control and available 18-inch wheels and tires. Automatic Post-Collision Braking will be standard on all SportWagens. It engages the brakes after a crash to reduce secondary collisions, and to bring the vehicle to a stop. It’s triggered when the airbag sensors detect the initial collision, and is limited by the stability control system to a maximum stopping rate of 0.6g.

If the driver accelerates after the initial collision or brakes at a rate above 0.6 g, the system is disabled. The SportWagen will be built alongside the Golf and Jetta at VW’s Puebla, Mexico assembly plant. It goes on sale in early 2015.

The Virtual Driver