All New KIA

Selling practically the same car for almost nine years (and counting) is a risky bet because it runs a high risk of becoming obsolete, but Mazda is a specialist in going against the grain… and that it turns out well: the Mazda MX-5 is the best example of it. Martijn ten Brink, CEO of the Japanese company in Europe, has spoken on the future of the two-seater: there is a Miata for a while, although we do not know in what way.

Mazda is making the most of the possibility of having a model as purist as the Mazda MX-5 and it does so updating the model with different novelties and the launch of (more) special series. This is how time passes, while the motor world awaits the arrival of the fifth generation: Martijn ten Brink has spoken about it in an interview with Coach on the occasion of the Brussels Motor Show.

The future of the Mazda MX-5

The trend that we have observed so far in the Mazda MX-5 ND does not seem to be changing: according to their statements, the fourth generation will continue to be updated. There is also good news because the Miata is not threatened with retirement due to emissions regulations or other legislation: “It would be fair to say that the MX-5 will never die. He will definitely continue to be part of the lineup.”

We know the story continues, but in what way? This question has no answer, at least for now: “How do you stay true to the concept of what a vehicle stands for while adapting it to the next generation of technologies? That has not yet been decided. Everyone has an opinion on the direction it should go, so I’m really curious how it will end.”

With Euro 7 in mind

We know that Mazda will not change that original philosophy of the Mazda MX-5: the next generation will continue to have rear-wheel drive and an naturally aspirated gasoline engine. Any form of hybridization for the NE is likely to be too expensive due to the mechanical complexity involved. This bet would also imply a few extra kilos that could break the 50:50 balance of the Miata and that could also endanger the recipe for an affordable sports car Although prices have risen in recent years.

To all this we must add another point: the Mazda MX-5 NE, in Europe, must comply with Euro 7, so the arrival of some type of electrification is taken for granted: a 48V microhybrid perhaps?

Ten years

In September 2022, spy photos captured a mule in which a slightly modified Mazda MX-5 ND could be seen: despite the camouflage, it seems that the front (headlights and grille) did not change and the rear bumper did, which seemed wider.

Despite this sighting, the production-ready model is unlikely to go on sale any time soon. Some time ago, Mazda assured that a ten-year life cycle for the Miata was not a problem: this would make 2024 a probable date to launch the new generation. The story continues, it only remains to be seen in what way.

icon 4×4 is to classic SUVs what Singer is to Porsche 911s. It’s a Atelier of the highest level that transforms old SUVs into works of art modernized, in which the maximum attention to detail is the main leitmotif of the company. We already know his restomods from the Toyota Land Cruiser BJ, and it is time to learn about his work based on one of the most popular pick-up trucks in the United States: a 1970 Ford Ranger. The result is as attractive as it is exclusive: his Final price is easily in the field of six figures.

Contrary to what usually happens in this type of exhaustive work, Icon has begun the restoration by creating a completely new chassis for the pick-up, which it shares with the restomods of Icon’s Ford Bronco, from which it also inherits the suspension geometry. Chassis that has been repainted and treated to withstand corrosion, as well as reinforced for off-road use. In its front, instead of the tired six-cylinder engine of the Ranger, a 5.0 V8 “Coyote” engine from a Ford Mustang GT has been installed.

Its change is automatic, and its 4×4 traction with reducer, connectable.

The engine develops 426 hp and is connected to a Ford AOD four-speed torque converter gearbox, which through an Atlas II transfer case, sends power to all four wheels. The undercarriage is at the highest level, with first division parts in the aftermarket world. We are talking about Fox Racing shocks mounted with Eibach springs, Dynatrack ProRock 44 front axleDynaTrack ProRock 66 rear axle, brake discs and calipers signed by Brembo or high-end BF Goodrich off-road tires.

Tires mounted on new ones 18-inch forged aluminum wheels, which imitate the painted sheet metal wheels that the pick-up originally had. The interior has been elevated to the XLT trim of the F100/Ranger, but Icon has added several interesting modern touches. The first is a completely custom upholstery, in addition to having a Vintage Air air conditioning system. Another detail is an electronic analog instrumentation, completely associated with the modern V8 mechanics of the pick-up.

It doesn’t have power windows to maintain the vintage, manual feel of the classic Ranger.

The final result is obvious in the images. This beautiful pick-up can drive with complete reliability anywhere, it is attractive to rage and it will also be the envy of many drivers and motor fans. Of course, you will have to pay for it. Its price has not been published, but based on other Icon works, we estimate it in the around $200,000.

Fountain: autoblog In Diariomotor:

When we think of car thefts, there are those who believe that criminals opt for the most expensive and exclusive models: nothing could be further from the truth. They prefer best selling vehicles and those that are already a certain age because it is easier to resell their parts. Luckily, in Spain, this type of action has been decreasing… although it has not disappeared: If you have a SEAT Ibiza, a SEAT León or a Volkswagen Golf, we have bad news for you.

The HelloSafe insurance comparator has published a report about car thefts in Spain. According to the data of the Ministry of the Interior reflected in it, in 2022, 24,990 vehicles were stolen in Spain: 5.40% less than the previous year (2021) when 26,417 incidents were recorded. In 2020, a year marked by the pandemic, the figure indicates that 25,387 cars were victims of a theft.

Less robberies

It must be taken into account that, according to the Spanish Union of Insurance and Reinsurance Entities (UNESPA), in 2019 there were 128,000: a figure includes both the theft of the entire vehicle and of any element inside it. The aforementioned study indicates 35,105 incidents, which are presumed to be subtractions from the complete model.

At the European level, according to information from Eurostat, Spain, with a rate of 52 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, occupies position number 17, behind countries like Norway (107), Austria (81) and Switzerland (79). Italy, meanwhile, is on the opposite side, as it is the European country with the highest car theft rate (280), closely followed by the Czech Republic (271) and Greece (267).

The three models preferred by criminals

Going back to the HelloSafe study, the information reveals which are the models preferred by criminals: SEAT Ibiza, SEAT León and Volkswagen Golf. All three have the qualities that are sought in this type of criminal action: they have been on the market for a long time, they are among the best sellers and they are well valued in the market. Reasons why its parts and spare parts are so coveted.

The provinces with the most and least robberies

On the other hand, HelloSafe has calculated the rate of theft by region: for this it has taken into account the registrations and the cars that are in circulation in each province. Based on these data, he concludes that Lugo is the province with fewer reports, since it has a rate of 1.1 stolen vehicles for every 10,000 units, taking into account that they have a park made up of 205,858 copies. accompany you caceres (1.5 per 10,000 with a fleet of 225,835) and Teruel (1.8 per 10,000 with a park of 75,921).

Obviously, the cities with the most car thefts also appear on that list. Top the ranking Ceuta with 103 vehicles reported as stolen: this translates into a rate of 24.5 per 10,000 units in a park made up of 42,028 copies. Santa Cruz De Tenerife ranks second with 414 thefts and a rate of 23.2 for a fleet of 178,000 cars. Close the podium Barcelona with 5,074 thefts and a rate of 20.5 in a fleet of 2,469,693 vehicles. Behind are cities such as Madrid (with a rate of 17.8 stolen cars), Malaga (17.4), Cádiz (16), the Balearic Islands (14.6), Girona (11.7), Tarragona (10.4 ) and Valencia (10.3).

When we think of a comfortable and spacious car, we have no choice but to resort to SUVs, but what if we told you that there is an alternative? We find this in the Kia Ceed Tourer, a family member that not only declares 625 liters of trunk space, but also has significant support from the Korean firm by offering a seven-year warranty. To all this we must add a price of 22,600 euros, a figure that does not hide any trick.

And although it is true that the figure It can be lowered to a more interesting 21,972 euros, we must face the financing to achieve it. That is why it may be more logical to face the payment in cash, especially if we take into account that the interest will end up making the total disbursement in installments considerably higher.

This is the Kia Ceed Tourer that wants to be the worst nightmare of SUVs

However, taking the Korean family member home for less than 23,000 euros has a price -in addition to the one we have to pay for the car itself-. This is none other than welcoming us the Concept finish and the 1.0 T-GDi 120 hp engine, that is, the two access options. Also, if we want to keep the total bill at those 22,600 euros, we should not add any extra.

Nevertheless, the standard equipment is sufficient By having elements such as 16-inch wheels, LED lights, light sensor, air conditioning, lane departure alert, cruise control and a 5-inch screen among others. It is not the most complete on the market, but if we are looking for a cheap car in these dark times that run to go from “A” to “B”, we do not have to miss anything.

As far as mechanics is concerned, the Kia Ceed Tourer that concerns us today uses a 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbocharger that produces 120 hp and 172 Nm of torque. They are figures orchestrated by means of a six-speed manual gearbox, and allow a 0 to 100 in 11.4 seconds and a top speed of 190 km/h. They are rather modest benefits, but they are offset by a combined consumption of 5.3 liters per 100, although yes, under the WLTP cycle.

Now, is there any requirement on the part of Kia when it comes to getting the Ceed Tourer for 22,600 euros? The truth is that not, since it is a cash price. Even so, and for those who are interested in financing them, the Korean firm does not talk about the conditions that would exist to be able to get hold of their family member for the aforementioned 21,972 euros.

The Kia Ceed Tourer in What car do I buy?

But the fact that the Kia Ceed Tourer is an interesting car does not prevent that there are other attractive options on the market. And we can find these in What car do I buy?a Diariomotor comparator where we not only find the largest offer of new cars, but also secondhand.

In this way, we can get hold of a Seat León SportsTourer for 24,350 euros, model that declares 620 liters of trunk. Another alternative would be the Renault Mégane ST for 24,302 euros, to which we must add a trunk of 521 liters of capacity. And finally, although for a little more money, the Volkswagen Golf Variant, which can be ours for 31,840 euros hand in hand with a 611-litre trunk.

But if the Kia Ceed Tourer is the choice and it does not come to us for a new one, do not worry, since we can find the solution in the used market. It is there where we will discover not only considerably cheaper units, but also with better configurations by engine and finish.

In the same way that the ideal moment to buy a car arises, there is also a point in which the most appropriate thing is to put it up for sale.

It should be taken into account that Every vehicle begins to lose value from the moment it leaves a dealership, but it is only up to the owner to determine how long he intends to keep it.

The moment of the election defines the amount of money that will be recovered with respect to what was paid for the unit, but it must be taken into account that most vehicles lose up to 20% of their value in their first year of being assembled.

However, Depreciation is based on several different factors, the biggest of which is your mileage.

The fact that automaker warranties are starting to expire when the odometer of the vehicles shows between 25,000 and 100,000 miles it implies that the need to carry out some type of repair or expensive service will arise, so that may be a sign to choose between investing more in the unit or putting it up for sale to go for another new model or with fewer miles driven.

Similarly, the year of a car makes it less valuable as time goes on, even when its mileage is low and its physical and mechanical condition appear impeccable.

In the event that a new generation of a vehicle is about to come out, it is advisable to put it up for sale, since it automatically loses value, This is due to the novelties that the new model will present, which will suppress the values ​​of the generations prior to yours.

A weighty argument for selling a car is that, if a loan was used to acquire it and you no longer have the support to pay the upcoming monthly payments, it is best to get rid of it to settle the debt and perhaps keep some money in the pocket, because that is preferable to the unit being seized later.

At the end of the day, the getting rid of a car will depend on the solvency of its owner to acquire a more recent one or to continue investing in the one that haseven when this implies a greater expense in the future.

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Ferrari, as a good sports car manufacturer, is always looking for ways to get more performance out of its cars and, surely, it has a few hidden aces up its sleeve. In the United States Patent Registry we have discovered a clue to one of them: an application that reveals that, andn Maranello, they are investigating gas propellants that, in its day, Tesla promised.

Elon Musk was the first to talk about gas propellants for the Tesla Roadster: four years ago he assured that they would be part of the SpaceX package. Optional equipment for his electric car, which consisted of small motors similar to those used in rockets and based on high-pressure compressors. They would be located in the rear and with them would improve acceleration, braking capacity, cornering and maximum speed. So much so that it would go from 0 to 100 km/h in just over a second.

Ferrari’s system

Ferrari filed its patent at the end of 2019, the same year that Tesla announced its own. In it document it can be verified that the concept is similar, but not the same. The Italians have opted for a compressor that is attached to the front or rear axle and works with a heat exchanger, a device that transfers heat from one fluid to another with a lower temperature: the objective is that the density of the air is as high as possible. The entire system, according to the Italian manufacturer’s estimates, would add 40-45 kilos to the weight of the car.

In this way, the compressor can be used for recover the energy from braking and use it to compress the air which, in turn, could be used to accelerate the car, increase its speed in the corners… Ferrari would have chosen compressed air tanks with a pressure that would oscillate between 700 and 900 bars: figures that hydrogen vehicles already handle.

the thrusters

Ferrari’s system speaks of several propellants and in each of the locations it has multiple nozzles. In the patent application they describe five nozzles per propellant and each one has an orifice that becomes progressively larger. The idea is that when the reservoir is full and the pressure is high, the smaller version of the orifice can be used. to achieve the necessary force: Ferrari estimates that it would be about 5,000 N.

When it is emptier and the pressure is lower, the system will switch to a larger diameter nozzle to deliver the same force, albeit with a shorter thrust. In this way, it can be achieved a constant drive for a longer period of time.

Let’s remember: it’s a patent

Ferrari’s patent application does not guarantee that gas engines will go into production. Often, brands in the motor world patent technologies without concrete plans to use them. In this case, moreover, it is only a request: it has not even been granted, but, at least, the idea exists. And it is that if this system (or a similar one) became a reality, imagine how fast the Ferrari models would be… taking into account that, nowadays, they are not exactly slow.

Toyota’s most bizarre sports car is on its way. Some will see it as crazy, many others as a sin, but at Gazoo Racing they are working on a Toyota Prius GRMN and that is great news. After 5 generations defending a philosophy where there has been no room for anything other than maximum efficiency, The Toyota Prius has shown us that it wants to change and so much so that it is also encouraged to have its own high-performance variant.

In recent years Toyota has more than shown us that sportsmanship is something that matters to them, and a lot, giving wings to the Gazoo Racing division to put sports-cut finishes on the market under the GR-Sport seal in practically all of its range, but also specific models such as the GR Yaris, GR86 and GR Supra.

Building a Toyota Prius GRMN may sound crazy, but we can’t wait to see it on the streets

And this new philosophy promoted by the already ex-CEO Akio Toyoda, also wants to reach the hybrid par excellence of the brand, the Toyota Prius. With the presentation of the current fifth generation, Toyota has radically changed registrationdiscovering a car that will only be marketed in a plug-in hybrid version, which reaches 224 CV of power and also has a really attractive design, as well as being very different from its predecessors.

But in this change of trend in the Prius saga, there would still be more to discover, as reported by the Japanese media. Best Car. Gazoo Racing would already be developing a sporty version of the new Prius under the GRMN label, extracting more power from its hybrid configuration, installing new suspensions, making its chassis more rigid and ultimately improving its dynamic behavior. Aesthetically we would also find changes that would add character to this version, but offering an interesting cocktail where efficiency and sportiness would be mixed to create a compact that is less peculiar.

In the absence of official confirmation on this project, which also rumors point to a launch for 2024, What it does seem that we will see in the Toyota Prius is a GR-Sport finish that provides a plus of spice aesthetically, in addition to taking better advantage of the 224 CV that the new plug-in hybrid engine develops.