Mark, Author at Maynards Garage

The Redesigned Volkswagen Logo

by Mark | Apr 9, 2020 | 0 comments

The new logo makes its debut on the 2020 Atlas Cross Sport. (Photos courtesy of Volkswagen)

Volkswagen revealed a new logo design today, April 9, as part of an international rollout that will include the transition of more than 70,000 logos globally. First up for the U.S. is on the 2020 Atlas Cross Sport. Last year, around 6.2 million vehicles were built worldwide with a VW on their grilles. Those two letters have come to represent one of the most recognizable brands on Earth.

The refreshed and digitally friendly design is a minimalist take on the classic logo, allowing for more flexibility and versatility when it comes to the signature symbol, VW said in a statement. It’s a modern and simpler version of the previous logo, which has identified the brand for over 70 years.

The ‘digital first’ redesign is intended to reduce the logo to essential elements.

‘Digital First’ Design

Led by Volkswagen Chief Designer Klaus Bischoff, the new design was intended to be versatile, “digital first” and to reduce the logo to essential elements, which now presents as flat and two-dimensional.

“My personal drive in this redesign was to make the W float, bringing a new lightness to the Volkswagen brand,” Bischoff said.

The reimagined logo will function on small scales like a smart watch or phone and also in big formats, such as factories and assembly facilities.

The new logo is a symbol and trademark.

“We have created a new holistic global brand experience on all channels and across all touchpoints,” Jochen Sengpiehl, chief marketing officer of Volkswagen, said in a statement. “As a general principle, our aim will not be to show a perfect advertising world; we want to become more human and livelier, to adopt the customer’s perspective to a greater extent, and to tell authentic stories.”

The redesign also brings other significant changes. The familiar blue and white colors of the predecessor have been refreshed with a new deep blue tone, allowing for additional color variants, Sengpiehl said in a statement.

By mid-2020, VW plans to complete the rollout of the rebrand across the 10,000 dealers in 171 markets in 154 countries.

The reimagined logo will function on small scales like a smart watch or phone or in big formats, such as on assembly facilities.

Vin Car Pic of the day

by Mark | Apr 9, 2020 | 0 comments

The 1937 Chevrolet Master Coach. (GM Archives)

Car Care

Toyo Tires introduces all-new Open Country A/T III

by Mark | Apr 8, 2020 | 0 comments

For drivers of pickup trucks, Jeeps, crossovers and SUVs, the Open Country’s new tread compound and design help provide confident wet braking and handling, cut-and-chip resistance, off-road grip and a quiet ride, Toyo says.

Toyo Tires designed and formulated its popular Open Country AT II for tough yet compliant grip whether off road or on for drivers of pickup trucks, Jeeps, crossovers and SUVs. And now the third-generation A/T III tire builds on its reputation with aggressive styling and confident performance in dry, wet and wintry conditions, Toyo says. The tire continues its ranking with the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association’s three-peak mountain snowflake symbol, for use in severe winter weather.
The tire is being made in 127 size, load, and sidewall combinations for wheel diameters ranging from 15- to 22-inches. More than 70 sizes are available now, 38 more were to be released April 1 and the remaining SKUs are expected to be available by summer.

The lineup will include 28 new sizes for specialty and popular fitments, such as for the Ford Raptor and Jeep Rubicon in Load Range C. Other lower-load and tire-ply options are available for soft-roaders and other lightweight vehicle applications.

Special tread features include:
• Increased tread block rigidity and a better worn appearance;
• Staggered shoulder lugs with biting edges;
• Increased lateral grooves to enhance traction;
• 3-D multi-wave sipes for enhanced traction in wet and snow and to reduce irregular wear;
• Stone ejecting blocks.

The tire’s all-terrain compound helps resist chipping and tearing, with a long wear life. The Open Country A/T III has a 65,000-mile warranty for metric sizes and a 50,000-mile warranty for LT and flotation sizes. The Open Country A/T III is also backed by a 500-mile trial offer.

“The new Toyo Open Country A/T III is built to be tough,” said Conrad Galamgam, senior director of product planning and technical services at Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “Its durable construction is designed to get drivers to their destination, whether that’s a quiet weekend in the wilderness or their drive to work in tough winter weather, and back home again.”

The new tire has just been released and will soon be in tire stores, but pricing was not available at press time. As an example, the Open Country A/T II has pricing between $124 and $551 at Discount Tire.
Find the Open Country A/T III for your vehicle at www.toyotires.com/product/open-country-at3/

Car Reviews

Kia Niro PHEV Review

by Mark | Dec 7, 2018 | 0 comments

The 2018 Kia Niro PHEV is an urban runabout and a comfortable commuter — and it fulfills both jobs

The 2018 Kia Niro is available as a gasoline-electric hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, or battery electric. (Photo courtesy of Kia America)

BY MARK MAYNARD

?T/dropcap]he beauty of the Kia Niro plug-in hybrid sneaks up on you. It’s not in its function-over-form body but in how easily this compact-class crossover wagon-hatchback fits into a busy lifestyle.

With around 26 miles of battery driving, it is quick to dispense with errand-running and with engine assist there are more than 500 miles of total driving range; it is an EV that doesn’t fiddle around.

The Niro PHEV is an urban runabout and a comfortable commuter — and it does both jobs well.

The Niro driver area is smartly designed as an intuitive command center with a tall 40 inches of front headroom.

A Family of Electrified Cars

The Niro is a family of electrified cars under Kia’s EcoDynamics sub-brand of alternative-fuel vehicles. It is now available as a gasoline-electric hybrid, a plug-in hybrid or battery electric.

Today’s tester is the Niro PHEV, sold in three trim levels with starting prices of $28,840-$35,440, including the freight charge from Hwasung, Korea. The top-line EX Premium tester had just one factory option of carpeted floor mats ($135) for a total of $35,575.

Cabin controls are neatly arranged in two tiers.

The Niro PHEV qualifies for a $4,543 federal tax rebate, $1,500 from the state’s Clean Vehicle Rebate and San Diego Gas & Electric offers an annual credit of $200 to those who own or lease a plug-in vehicle. The credit is available to qualified customers through 2020. (Details at Cleanvehiclerebate.org.)

In case you’d not heard, Kia has earned the No. 1 ranking by J.D. Power among non-premium auto brands in its 2018 Initial Quality Study. The Korea-based carmaker has claimed the top spot in this category for the last four years and last year’s scoring was the same for 2018, a reported 72 problems per 100 vehicles. The Sorento midsize SUV and Rio small car are in the lead positions with the Optima midsize sedan, Sportage small SUV and Sedona minivan placing second and the Forte compact car in third, for their segments.

Unique Niro

Kia has a safe niche for Niro, so far, in the non-premium segment of small PHEVs. There is only about one true competitor in the Ford C-Max hybrid and PHEV and it is on its way out of production. There are luxury-class offerings in the Mercedes-Benz GLC350e, XC40,
A3 e-tron and Maserati Levante.

Back-seat legroom is generous at 37.4 inches.

The body styling has some compact cuteness that wraps around an upright format as tidy and functional as an American Tourister roller bag — ready to travel with a hard shell that feels secure and refined.

The Niro is a sturdy vehicle weighing 4,409 pounds (about a hundred pounds heavier than Kia’s midsize Sorento 4WD SUV), which makes its battery driving range all the more impressive. But there were many weight-saving tricks applied, such as using advanced high strength steel in more than half of the structure with aluminum for the hood, tailgate, brake calipers and many suspension pieces.

You can ID the Niro PHEV by its slightly modified front grille, hybrid blue exterior accents and the charge-port door on the left front fender.

The multifunction steering wheel in the Kia Niro.

Standard EX Premium features include a heated steering wheel, keyless entry and push-button ignition.

Kia Niro PHEV Performance

The performance is adequate for daily driving and there is a Sport mode that dips quicker into engine power. The hybrid powertrain is comprised of a 104-horsepower, 1.6-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine, a 360-volt (60-hp) electric motor and a 59-kW lithium ion polymer battery with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The system has a total of 139 hp with fuel economy ratings of 48 mpg city, 44 highway and 46 mpg combined on 87 octane. The EPA gives the mileage a 105 mpg-e rating. The 11.4-gallon fuel tank is large for a plug-in and should allow 560 miles of range, but some drivers will get far more range.

A full charge takes about 2.5 hours using a 240-volt (Level 2) charger or around nine hours with the onboard 120-volt (Level 1) charger. I was able to drive mostly on battery power in a week of testing because I’d top off whenever I got home. Shame on me for not using off-peak electricity, but every time I got back into the car, the driving range was 500 miles. About the only time the engine kicked in is when I floored it for merging or evasive power.

Stopping force felt confident to control the weight with the four-wheel-disc regenerative brakes; 11-inch vented front rotors and 11.2-inch solid rotors rear.

The cargo area has a tall floor (because of the batteries), but fold the 60/40 back seats for 5 1/2 feet in length by 39 inches wide.

Interior Function

The interior plastics in Niro have an appealing appearance and are free of rough edges. The contemporary décor uses contrasting hues of shale and black plastics with (reserved) piano-black accents and the blue stitching (on the door trim, seats, steering wheel, and shift boot.

The driver area is smartly designed as an intuitive command center with a tall 40 inches of front headroom. Cabin controls are neatly arranged in two tiers for audio and AC-vent-fan with an 8-inch touch screen for navigation, phone, radio, apps. And there is a custom button to preset direct access for phone or Kia’s UVO subscription e-services.

The front seats have firm comfort but are short on thigh support for the big-and-tall driver. The EX Premium includes a six-way power driver’s seat with lumbar (but no separate seat-cushion tilt) and a four-way manual front passenger seat with height adjustment. Other useful features are a large driver’s footrest and large sliding visors with covered and lighted mirrors.

Sightlines are basically unimpeded but drivers will want to take a second look right where the wide base of the windshield pillar meets the broad base of the side mirror. The wide rearview camera with guidance is quite helpful.

Niro’s hybrid powertrain is comprised of a 104-horsepower, 1.6-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine, a 60-hp electric motor, and a 59-kW lithium-ion polymer battery.

The shifter console is large with a charging bin that includes a charging pad, USB port, aux-in and two 180-watt 12-volt plugs. And there is another USB charging port in the armrest-console box.

The only low-tech oddity in this very electrified vehicle is the mechanical foot-pumper parking brake.

Back Seat and Cargo Capacity

There are no apparent budget cuts to the back seat and no weirdly tall seat height, even with the batteries below. The space is made roomier by a low exhaust tunnel, which will ease the occasional crunch of three-across seating. The center seat has a head restraint that can be lowered when not needed.

The cargo area does have a tall floor (because of the batteries), which lowers the load-in ceiling height to about 27 ½ inches. But fold the 60/40 back seats (nearly flat) and there is 5 1/2 feet of length by 39 inches wide. The aluminum liftgate is about the lightest I’ve experienced for one-handed opening and closing.

Why Buy the Kia Niro?

The detailed engineering that went into the Kia Niro has created a plug-and-play device that makes our daily lives a little easier, a little quieter and a little more efficient.

The Niro PHEV has around 26 miles of battery driving.

2018 Kia Niro PHEV EX Premium

Body style: compact, 5-seat, front-wheel-drive 5-door crossover

Engine: 104-hp, 1.6-liter Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder with auto stop-start at idle; 109 lb.-ft. torque at 4,000 rpm

Electric motor: AC synchronous permanent magnet with 360-volts, 60-hp, 129 lb.-ft. torque

Battery: Lithium-ion polymer; 8.9 kWh, 59 kW, 24.7-amp hours

Total system power: 139-hp, 195 lb.-ft. torque

Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch automatic

Electric driving range: up to 26 miles

Fuel economy: 48/44/46 mpg city/hwy/combined or 105 mpg-e; 87 octane

Total driving range: 560 miles

BY THE NUMBERS

Fuel tank: 11.4 gallons

Cargo space: 19.4-54.5 cu. ft.

Front head/leg room: 40.1/41.7 inches

Rear head/leg room: 39.1/37.4 inches

Length/wheelbase: 171.5/106.3 inches

Curb weight: 4,409 pounds

Turning circle: 34.8 feet

FEATURES

Standard equipment includes: keyless entry and push-button ignition, navigation system with 8-inch touchscreen, rearview camera, UVO infotainment, Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, LED headlights, LED running lights and front fog lights, power-folding (heated) side mirrors with turn signals, 16-inch alloy wheels with 205/60 all-season tires

Safety features include: 7 air bags, hill-start assist, stability and traction controls, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-keep assist, smart cruise control, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert

PRICING

EX Premium base price: $35,440, including $940 freight charge; price as tested $35,575

Options on test vehicle: carpeted floor mats $135

Where assembled: Hwasung, Korea

Warranty: 10-years/100,000-miles lithium-ion battery and powertrain; 5-years/60,000-miles bumper to bumper with roadside assistance

Car Reviews

2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback: The shape of things to come

by Mark | Dec 6, 2018 | 0 comments

The 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback is now a benchmark in this segment of compact five-door, non-sedans that includes the Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Honda Civic and VW Golf.

Forget everything you once knew about the Corolla nameplate being synonymous with boring but dependable transportation. The redesigned 2019 Corolla Hatchback is updating the 52-year-old nameplate with youthful styling, sophisticated interior materials, a full integration of safety technologies and a new attitude of sporty drivability.

It might now be the benchmark in this segment of compact, five-door non-sedans, which includes the Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Accent, Kia Forte, Mazda3, Nissan Versa Note and VW Golf.

It is an enjoyably nimble car to drive with a well soundproofed cabin and a forgiving independent suspension this is firm enough for fun but comfortable for everything else.

The completely re-engineered hatchback replaces the previous Corolla iM hatch and is on Toyota’s new global platform for cars. The chassis is 60 percent stiffer and the footprint is a little lower and a wider and about a half inch shorter.

The hatchback’s speed-line body styling might compromise some cargo capacity, but it is a head-turning trade off. And it follows through to the rear with a pair of horizontal dual-exhaust outlets that are integrated into the fascia. It’s not about performance but it does look cool at the curb.

The Corolla Hatchback is sold in two well-equipped trim levels in front-wheel drive with one powertrain of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a manual transmission or continuously variable automatic. Starting prices range from $20,820 for the entry SE with six-speed manual to $25,010 for the XSE with CVT. Today’s tester is an SE with CVT that was $23,410 with the SE preferred package ($1,400), which adds a blind-spot monitor and Entune 3.0 audio upgrade with app suite.

The cabin has contemporary styling with reserved piano black trim.

The hatchback is a step up in content from the basic Corolla four-door and includes such standard equipment as smartkey locking and push-button ignition, six-way manually adjusted driver seat, electric parking brake, seven air bags and Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, LED headlights and taillights, an 8-inch multimedia touch screen and six-speaker audio system, a phone-accessed Scout GPS Link and 16-inch alloy wheels.

The XSE is a tech-step upward with adaptive (turning) headlights, LED foglights, leather-and-fabric upholstery, heated front seats, eight-way power driver’s seat, 18-inch wheels and more soundproofing.

There are only four factory option packages: adaptive front headlights $415; the SE preferred package, $1,400, includes a blind-spot monitor and Entune 3.0 audio upgrade with app site Toyota Connected Services; the XSE preferred package, $1,600, includes a navigation system, wireless phone charging pad and 800-watt, eight-speaker Entune JBL audio upgrade.

The shift console includes a handy place to lay a phone with adjacent USB and audio input ports.

The 168-hp engine has 31 more horsepower than the 1.8-liter it replaces and 25 more foot-pounds of torque, now at 151 lb.-ft. torque at 4,800 rpm. The entry SE with CVT gets the top mileage ratings of 32/42/36 compared to 28/37/31 mpg for the manual and 30/38/33 for the XSE CVT. I was averaging 27.7-30 mpg in mostly city driving.

It is an enjoyably nimble car to drive with a well soundproofed cabin and a forgiving independent suspension that is sporty enough for fun, but comfortable for everything else. Braking is well executed with four-wheel discs, 11.5-inch vented rotors front and 10.5-inch solid rear.

The Dynamic-Shift CVT is groundbreaking for its fixed first gear for a solid launch from the traffic light without a wail of motorboating as the transmission tries to catch up with the engine revs. The transmission simulates 10 sequential steps and has a Sport mode and paddle shifters with rev-matching downshifts. With active cornering assist there is more grip in hot turns and the transmission will downshift on hard braking.

Back seat space has a comfortable seatback angle but requires a limber squeeze through the door.

And with the addition of Toyota Safety Sense as standard equipment, the Corolla hatch outdistances the competition and most of those in the luxury class, too. Yet, blind-spot alert is still an option.

The safety-sense suite is the foundation for semi-autonomous driving and it features several driver-assist aids. The pre-collision and pedestrian-detection system uses a forward-facing camera and monitors the road for a preceding vehicle or pedestrian — day or night — or a daytime bicyclist. The adaptive radar cruise control has been enhanced to match speed and distance control and to watch for cut-in by other drivers.

The safety-sense suite is the foundation for semi-autonomous driving and includes:

Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection. It uses a forward-facing camera to detect a preceding vehicle or pedestrian — day or night —or a daytime bicyclist. If the driver does not respond to audible and visual alerts, the system will hit the brakes to help avoid a collision with the help of forward collision warning, brake assist and automatic emergency braking.

There is a lot of open space in the cargo capacity when the seats are folded, which form a contiguous flat space.

Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control: For use on the highway, the adaptive system works between 0 to 110 mph and allows stopping and acceleration. It is a well-calibrated aid that has been enhanced to match speed and distance control and to watch for cut-in by other drivers.

Lane-tracing assist keeps drivers between the white lines of sweeping highway curves and exit ramps. While Road Sign Assist identifies signage for speed, stop, yield and do not enter.

The light steering touch, braking refinement and gentle dip of the suspension will be the first hints that the new Corolla hatchback does not share much with its econobox sibling.

The cabin has contemporary styling with a charcoal-tone fabric headliner, reserved use of piano black trim and a neatly stitched dash top, seats and door trim. All controls are easy viewed and adjusted. The little sliding-top armrest has a storage box with a charging USB (2.1 amp) and a 12-volt plug. The shift console includes a handy place to lay a phone with adjacent USB and audio input ports. Visors have extenders and covered, lighted mirrors.

It is an enjoyably nimble car to drive with a well soundproofed cabin and a forgiving independent suspension this is firm enough for fun but comfortable for everything else.

Sightlines are good at the side mirrors, which have a quarter pane for a snip more cornering view (rather than a solid panel at the wide base of the mirror). Rearward views are more complex at the wide wrap of the rear roof pillars, but the head restraints can be folded for a better view and the rearview camera is helpful with guidance lines.

Back seat space has a comfortable seatback angle but requires a limber squeeze through the door. There are no USBs for guests to use but a fold-down armrest has cup holders and there is a cup holder in each door.

There is a lot of open space in the cargo capacity when the seats are folded, which form a contiguous flat space. The 60/40 seatback folds for about 5 ½ feet of length by 41 inches wide. The cargo floor is somewhat shallow at 23 ½ inches at the opening, but there is room below the floor for a temporary spare.

Toyota appears hopeful that young drivers will pay up for a car that supports their lifestyle without killing their paycheck. But what works for young people, works for all.

2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback

Body style: compact, 5-pass., front-drive 5-door hatchback
Engine: 168-hp, direct- and port-injection 2.0-liter 4-cylinder; 151 lb.-ft. torque at 4,800 rpm
Transmission: CVT
Fuel economy: 30/38/33 mpg city/hwy/combined; 87 octane

Starting prices range from $20,820 to $25,010.

SPECIFICATIONS

Fuel tank: 13.2 gal.
Cargo space: 18 cu. ft.
Front head/leg room: 38.4/42 in.
Rear head/leg room: 38/29.9 in.
Length/wheelbase: 169.9/103.9 in.
Curb weight: 3,060 lbs. *base model
Turning circle: 37.4 ft.

FEATURES

Standard equipment includes: keyless entry and push-button ignition, rearview camera, 4.2-inch multi-information gauge display, power mirrors with turn signals, power windows (with auto up-down for all), acoustic laminated windshield, LED running lights, bi-LED combination headlights
Safety features include: 7 air bags, brake assist, brake-force distribution

PRICING

Base price: $22,010, including $920 freight charge; price as tested $23,410
Options on test vehicle: SE preferred package $1,400
Where assembled: Takaoka, Japan