Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Undercuts the Prius ($24,685)

A trick the Lexus CT has been using since its launch

Aron9000

This is going to absolutely fly off the lots at $23,000. Wouldn't be surprised to see the dealers get greedy and tack on stuff like pin stripes, rustproofing, accesory wheels, "adjusted msrp" for the first few months/year this is on sale.

Its the body style everybody wants now days and I like that it doesn't look weird. Its a great design that isn't real shouty or gimmicky like everything else in this segment(Toyota C-HR, Nissan Juke, Prius, Lexus NX, Soul) Undercuts the Rav4 hybrid by a good $5,000 and gets better gas mileage anyways. Also a good alternative to the Prius for those that want that incredible gas mileage but hate the new Prius styling.

I'm a bit dubious about the 52 city/49 highway rating though. Hyundia/Kia have run afoul of the EPA before for overstating gas mileage. But even if it only manages about 40mpg combined, that's great for a small SUV.

Toys4RJill

I don't think it will fly off the lots. Nobody buys the base models. And as you go up in trim levels, the fuel efficiency decreases.

TangoRed

The other models get 49 combined, 51 hwy/46 city. With the LX starting at $23,200 (Smart Key with push button start, roof rails and LED rear combination lamps) and the EX at $25,700 (heated combination cloth and leather seating, leather-wrapped steering wheel, LED daytime running lights, heated power folding mirrors, front fog lamps, and Blind Spot Detection (BSD) with Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and Lane Change Assist (LCA) driver assistance features) I'm going to strongly disagree with you. That's still fantastic mpg and equipment for the price and should be a sales success.

Guess we'll see soon.

Aron9000

There isn't much of a price difference between base and the loaded version, even the base model is very well equipped. Right now crossovers are so hot you can make a bad one and it will still sell well. Take the Juke, ugly, cramped inside, crap Nissan CVT, crap Nissan build quality, yet they've sold a lot of those buggers.

From the pictures it looks great, Kias usually have nice, well built interiors, and it has that ace in the hole, the incredible gas mileage. What will be interesting to see is how it drives and how much real world space there is compared to something like a Rav4. Driving dynamics aren't that important anyways in this segment, so if it is slow and handles like a pig, I don't think it will really matter.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

nice video review... he's very impressed by build quality, especially the interior

Fizzboy7

Extremely impressive. Save for the cheap, unpainted molding gash on the doors, I find it very hard to spot any negatives. The pricing, mpg, size, finish, and shape of body are all top notch. Even with the larger rims (which look much better), it still has very high mileage numbers. I hope Kia does well with this, and is rewarded for rewarding people who want an SUV that looks like an SUV, but gains majorly on the efficiency front. To me, the Niro looks like the best of all worlds wrapped into one. Nice shade of blue, too.

pbm317

Nobody buys the base models? There are MANY vehicles on the market where the highest mix within the model lineup is the "base" model".

pbm317

I'd argue that Hyundai/Kia are ultra cognizant of the scrutiny they'll face with fuel economy ratings now, and thus may err on a more conservative side of what they're willing to state. Hence the specific delineations for each trim.

TangoRed

Exactly this.

Toys4RJill

The launch edition has no EPA rating and the top line touring model has its MPG decrease to 43 MPG. Toyota Prius MPG stays the same across the board.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/...ced-from-23800

This is poorly done by KIA. When a customer comes in seeing the 50 MPG only to find out the model they like does not get the advertised MPG, it will be at this point that there will be a problem. This car will not fly off the lots.

All good. I respect your position on this.

Toys4RJill

Oh really? show me some evidence of this?

Fizzboy7

Traditionally, entry and compact cars sell more base and mid-level models. Higher end luxury and sport cars tend to sell more top of the line models. I'd say this Kia falls more toward the "economy" end of the spectrum, and will likely sell the base and mid levels most.

pbm317

As Fizzboy has shown, even with some common sense, there is plenty of evidence of this throughout the industry. For my job I'm privy to a lot of data and information regarding specific mixes and volumes which I can't readily disclose. But just look at availability on dealer lots or used cars. I guarantee you'll find more BMW 320i's than 340i's. More Toyota Camry LE's and SE's than XSE's and XLE's.

So can you provide evidence to your claim that nobody buys base models?

Aron9000

Try www.fueleconomy.gov

Great website, as I looked it up to compare this Kia to the Rav4 Hybrid. Here are the results: