It is only fitting on this day of glorious green racers competing at the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans, that we introduce you to the newest member of our Top Speed Test Fleet. Although its not quite the same as the Audi R15 running laps around La Sarthe, our new Volkswagen Jetta wears the same TDI apparel.
The Jetta TDI is surprisingly different than what you would expect to find from what should be the most economical option in for the automaker’s entry-level four door. Our Jetta TDI seems to be entranced with the spirit of the original GTI. The ride is very sporty; the suspension is stiff, which is great around corners, but a little harsher than you would like when out on a date.
The combination of turbocharged diesel power plant and a double clutch continuously variable transmission may be an optimization for fuel economy when cruising at highway speeds. When passing, the combination falls flat on its face before throwing you back in the seat the Jetta TDI has more speed than you would expect from your sister’s car. The needle on the tachometer moves around more like a tire pressure gauge than something connected to a traditional internal combustion engine, very odd.
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When we first saw the new Mercedes Benz GLK make its big screen debut in a film about four women looking for love in Manhattan, it was hard to think of Mercedes Benz’s entry into the compact crossover market as anything but a chick car. After a few days of driving around our Arctic White GLK riding on upgraded 20 inch rims outside the vehicle, and enjoying the combination of black leather and aluminum trim inside the new CUV, we were pleased with what we had. Our 2010 GLK was optioned to the brim with features like DVD entertainment, navigation and other premium amenities; our car’s asking price had soared from the $35,900 M.S.R.P to almost $50,000.
The 268 HP V6 was more than enough to power our GLK 350 and when combined with the 4Matic all wheel drive system and seven speed automatic transmission made the crossover a blast to drive. Despite its compact nature, the GLK has styling to spare and is a welcome addition of attitude to the Mercedes Benz lineup. The size made the car easy to park and maneuver in traffic and combined with the safety of 6 airbags, makes the GLK a secure choice for new car buyers.
Continued with video walk around after the jump.
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We have just received a Nissan Altima S in our Top Speed test fleet. Although this looks like a basic four cylinder midsize five passenger people mover, that is because it is. Beneath our Altima’s gold painted body, connected to the stylish 16 inch wheels; is a continuously variable transmission. This Xtronic CVT replaces the traditional cog swapper and is supposed to hold the engine at a desired RPM, while varying the distance between two different sized sprockets, which makes the vehicle accelerate. This has the benefit of smoother acceleration, as well as a more efficient drive. Pretty neat stuff, eh?
Aside from the tranny, our Altima 2.5 S is pretty ordinary. There are black cloth seats, cloth door panels and the usual bright gauges and orange glowing radio from the Nissan parts bin. The only part of the interior that makes you forget that you are driving a four cylinder midsize sedan is are the a/c vents in the middle of the dash that trick you into thinking you’re behind the wheel of a 350Z. From the outside the Nissan Altima is what you would expect from the Japanese automaker. The sheet metal is simple, but the lines are bold and hint at unseen performance. The rims get the job done, but they are nowhere close to the 19 inch rims we saw on our Altima Coupe.
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When Subaru came up with the current generation Impreza, the Japanese automaker wanted to distance themselves from their once infamous boy racer image in favor of a toned down more mainstream appearance that would not distract a wider audience of new car buyers. Subaru wants to become more than just a niche vehicle for Northeasterners, who appreciate the beauty of all wheel drive; or tuners, who see great bang for your buck in the company’s turbocharged vehicles. The automotive arm of Fuji Heavy Industries is looking for a larger share of the market.
In doing so, the Impreza has grown up. Our $28,000 Satin White Pearl Suabru Impreza GT is fun to drive with its 2.5 Liter turbocharged boxer engine sending 224 HP to all four 17 inch wheels wrapped in low profile 205/50 tires and a comfortable, yet cloth, interior that was just as aggressive as the ride, but the best part is, how the Impreza GT flies under the radar and stays between the lines.
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We have just received the all new 2009 Ford Focus Coupe in the Top Speed test fleet. The profile of the two-door Focus with its fastback styling immediately reminded us of the old Sierra Cosworth, with the modern day car’s long slanted C pillar and oversized rear wing. The Focus Coupe gives the impression of being a sports car, something that is only accentuated by its Sangria Red metallic paint and the rally inspired premium dark painted wheels.
The interior of our Focus Coupe comes with Medium Stone leather seats and Ford’s Sync audio system. These are two luxuries that you won’t find in many other $20,000 new cars. It looks like Ford is targeting the youth market with the Focus Coupe, aside from the sporty exterior styling; the gauges have a very tuner style look to them, they are bright, bold and in your face. Another interesting feature that we’ve noticed is the door chime, gone is the annoying monotonous “ding” and in its place is a sound that is more reminiscent of something coming from an Atari video game.
Our Focus is powered by a 2.0 Liter Duratec 16 valve four cylinder that makes 140 HP. The blue oval guys claim that the Coupe comes with a sport tuned exhaust as well as a sport tuned suspension, two things we are looking forward to listening to and trying out. Despite the sporty nature of the Focus Coupe, Ford is already ready for the future CAFÉ standards because our car get an EPA estimated 35 MPG.
For a 360 degree view of the Focus check out the video after the jump.
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The designers at Nissan were on to something when they came up with the Altima Coupe. By taking a relatively attractive Altima, loosing two doors, tightening the back glass and stretching the rear sheet metal to pronounce a metal step over the rear wheels, they have created a very stylish sports coupe, a package that looks like something that would normally cost much more to own. When you choose the tried and true VQ35 engine, a power plant that Nissan used in everything from the 350Z to the FX35, you also get a sport tuned suspension and 18 inch split five spoke rims standard. The sleek two door profile and rear over fenders make the Altima Coupe a vehicle that would make Inifiniti owners jealous.
Our Nissan Altima Coupe 3.5 SE came with a $3,200 Premium Package that will definitely help when it comes time to impress the ladies. The package upgraded the Coupe with luxury comforts like soft leather, 7 speaker Bose audio system and HID headlamps. This bumped the $26,890 base price of a V6 powered Altima Coupe up to $31,560.
Did we mention that our SE came with another acronym, CVT, continuously variable transmission? Top Speed recently had a four door Altima equipped with the same transmission not too long ago, but this time the Coupe came with Nissan’s Xtronic version that allows the driver to shift manually. However, the 270 HP from the V6 and excellent coupe styling, make this Altima an entirely different kind of animal.
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Top Speed’s test fleet recently received a 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid from General Motors. This oversized people mover seems more like another way to make a statement about being excessive while still thinking about the environment. The Cadillac is as luxurious as anything from the General is at the moment, with its 332 HP 6.0 Liter V8 and electric motor spinning a set of 22 inch chrome wheels, it will be nice to experience the lifestyle first hand.
The interior of our Escalade is comfortable and luxurious, adequate for $70,000 worth of extravagance and technology. From the driver’s seat you can enjoy an 8 inch navigation screen with everything from back up camera to nice little animation about what the Hybrid two-mode system is doing. The rear seat passengers should appreciate the flip down Panasonic DVD screen and Bose 5.1 surround sound system. The combination of wood on the center stack, steering wheel and armrest is nicely contrasted by the brushed aluminum piece in front of the passenger.
Exterior after the jump.
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The Kia Soul is the Korean automaker’s answer to the rather bland boxcar marketplace. Competing for more juvenile car buyers against vehicles like the youth-targeted Scion xB, the New Nissan Cube and the aging Honda Element; the Kia Soul is an almost unexpectedly stylish, solid and even fun to drive option from that other car building country on the other side of the Pacific. With trim levels named “+”, “!” and Sport, featuring options like a Sound Sensitive Mood Lighting system, a place to hook up your iPod and optional 18 inch wheels is just what the kids are asking for. With its hearty 2.0 Liter four making 142 HP while getting an estimated 30 MPG on the highway, this Soul! is the Kia you will be proud to be seen in.
Starting at just over $13,000 the Kia Soul offers tons of options: like a factory body kit, Soul license plate frames, sport shift knobs, rear spoilers, interior lighting, remote start, touch up paint, first aid kit and all sorts of roof racks; perfect for an action sports inspired market. The Soul is the perfect option for a car buying public who like to feel unique when behind the wheel and don’t want to sacrifice performance or reliability for lots of style at a reasonable price.
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When I first saw the Mercedes Benz GLK premier in the Sex and the City movie all I could think was, this is a vehicle strictly intended for females. Although the squared off two box exterior looks like this mini G Wagon should be off-roading, the compact crossover is too small to be anything but cute, and the clean white exterior doesn’t help its cause either. However the 20’s our GLK is riding on are another story.
The interior is nicely finished, everything you would expect from Mercedes, there is the familiar large three spoke steering wheel and beautiful brushed metal trim. The audio system is easy to use audio, that is once you figure out how to control the imitation i drive wheel, I just wish the same could be said for the climate controls, there are simply too many buttons.
It took parking next to a Focus hatchback for me to realize that this would be perfect luxury vehicle for Europeans; the GLK was just slightly bigger than the Ford in every dimension. It’s attractive, easy to drive and especially with BlueTEC power, would make a great car overseas.
Keep following Top Speed for more on our GLK and to see if I change my mind about feeling like I should be wearing stilettos.
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When Jaguar introduced their replacement for the now defunct S type with the new XF the only thing they were missing was the blower, well the now Indian automaker has solved that problem with the Jaguar XF Supercharged. From our test car’s Radiance Metallic red paint, to the stylish 20 inch rims, the exterior of our XF Supercharged is an eye catcher. The interior features a few new tricks that are promised never get old. Te seats are comfortable and the ride is smooth, but what sets this 420 HP Jaguar apart from the rest is its supercharged 4.2 Liter V8 engine that when combined with the six speed automatic transmission, allows our XF to go from 0 to 60 MPH in just 5.1 seconds. Can Jaguar sell enough of these high performance sports sedans to up and coming car shoppers starting at around $63,000 in order to keep a good thing going, we can only wait and see.
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