MotorWeek

HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK .

JOIN US AND "C" WHAT'S NEW FOR LUXURY SPORT COUPE BUYERS FROM MERCEDES-BENZ... PAT GOSS SHOWS US WHY EVEN THE SMALLEST PART CAN LEAD TO BIG PROBLEMS... LAUREN MORRISON HAS A NEW OPTION WHEN ACQUIRING A USED CAR... AND KIA DESIGNERS RE-THINK A SOPHISTICATED SEDAN INSIDE AND OUT...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* ANNOUNCER: MOTORWEEK, TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY... TIRERACK WANTS YOU TO BE SMART WITH YOUR CAR.

Man: "YO DANNY, MY MAN!

HA, HA, HA!"

Announcer: THEY CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIRES FOR YOUR VEHICLE AND HAVE THEM SHIPPED TO A LOCAL INSTALLER.

TIRERACK.COM.

John: TWO-DOOR COUPES HAVE LONG SOLD AT A FRACTION OF THE PACE COMPARED TO THE SEDANS THEY ARE USUALLY BASED ON.

BUT, IF GERMAN BRANDS HAVE THEIR SAY, THEY'RE NOT LIKELY TO GO AWAY ANYTIME SOON.

OVER THE YEARS, THEY HAVE PERFECTED THE ART OF THE LUXURY SPORT COUPE.

AND NOW, MERCEDES-BENZ ADDS FUEL TO THAT TRADITION WITH THE NEW C300 COUPE.

* WHILE, THE COMPACT CHASSIS THAT UNDERSCORES THIS 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ C300 COUPE NOW CARRIES ALL KINDS OF VEHICLES, THIS 2-DOOR IS BY FAR THE MOST DYNAMIC LOOKING OF THE BUNCH.

CERTAINLY, MORE AGILE AND MUSCULAR LOOKING THAN ITS SEDATELY APPEARING SEDAN STABLEMATE.

THE COUPE'S HOOD AND GRILLWORK ARE THE SAME AS THE SEDAN, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE IS UNIQUE, INCLUDING A LOWER ROOFLINE THAT MAKES ALMOST ONE COMPLETE ARCH FROM A-PILLAR TO TAIL.

THOSE HINDQUARTERS HAVE MUCH MORE IN COMMON WITH THE LARGER S-CLASS COUPE THAN THE C-CLASS SEDAN, AND DUE TO SPORTIER TUNING, IT SITS ABOUT HALF AND INCH LOWER.

IT'S A GREAT-LOOKING SCULPTURE, CLEARLY DESIGNED TO BE A TRUE COUPE FROM THE BEGINNING AND NOT A 2-DOOR STEP CHILD OF A 4-DOOR SALOON.

THE AVAILABLE SPORT PACKAGE FEATURES A HOST OF AMG ADD-ONS FOR BOTH THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR, AND 19-INCH AMG WHEELS CAN REPLACE THE STANDARD 18s.

THE UBIQUITOUS GERMAN 2.0 LITER TURBO-4 HANDLES POWER DELIVERY, SENDING 241 HORSEPOWER AND 273 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE TO THE REAR WHEELS, OR ALL FOUR IF YOU CHOSE TO GO THE 4MATIC ROUTE.

IT'S EASILY, ONE OF THE BETTER TURBO-4s OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, FEELING MORE POWERFUL THAN MANY V6s.

BENZ'S 7G-TRONIC 7-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS YOUR ONLY ROUTE BUT IT'S A GOOD ONE.

BASE SUSPENSION IS EQUIVALENT TO THE SEDAN'S SPORT SETUP, AND RIDE QUALITY IS ON THE SPORTY SIDE OF COMFORTABLE; NOT HARSH, AND WITH JUST ENOUGH ROLL TO KEEP IT FROM FEELING LIKE YOU'RE IN A RACE CAR.

STILL SMOOTH, AND STEADY ARE THE THEMES HERE, MORE THAN QUICK AND DEADLY.

UPGRADE TO AIRMATIC SUSPENSION AND YOU GET SPORTIER SETTINGS FOR EVEN MORE AGGRESSIVE MANEUVERING.

ANYTHING MORE, AND YOU'LL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE AMG VERSIONS WHICH ARE OBVIOUSLY ON THE WAY.

MOST EVERYTHING IN THE FRONT COMPARTMENT IS STRAIGHT C-CLASS SEDAN, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.

THERE'S A GREAT LOOKING TWIN BEZEL GAUGE CLUSTER, AND LOTS OF REAL KNOBS, AND BUTTONS ON THE CENTER STACK, AND A TACKED ON-STYLE TABLET JUST ABOVE.

THE SCREEN DOES LOOK AWKWARD, BUT IT FUNCTIONS WELL THROUGH THE COMAND CONTROLLER.

THERE ARE MINOR TRIM UPDATES, TO GO ALONG WITH THE OBVIOUSLY LARGER DOOR PANELS.

FRONT SPORT SEATS ARE UNIQUE TO THE COUPE, AND ARE VERY COMFORTABLE WITH PLENTY OF ADJUSTMENTS.

REAR SEAT SPACE AND ACCESS ARE PRETTY MUCH STANDARD EURO-COUPE.

ITS TIGHT GETTING IN, AND ONLY SET UP FOR TWO MODERATELY-SIZED PHYSIQUES.

SO, YOU MIGHT WANT TO JUST FOLD THEM DOWN TO EXPAND A VERY TIGHT 10.5 CUBIC-FEET TRUNK.

IN TRACK TESTS, DESPITE A HEFTY FEEL, THE C300 COUPE PROVED EASY TO POINT AND SHOOT THROUGH THE CONES.

UNDERSTEER BECAME A PROBLEM AS WE PUSHED HARDER, BUT THE REAR DIDN'T SO MUCH AS SLIDE OUT AS BOUNCE AROUND, AS THERE ALWAYS SEEMS TO FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOME KIND OF ELECTRONIC INTERVENTION PRESENT.

STEERING WAS SUPER-QUICK, BUT ALSO A BIT NUMB.

STILL, BOTH THAT STEERING AND OVERALL PERFORMANCE FELT SPORTIER THAN THE LAST BMW 4-SERIES WE SAMPLED.

THERE'S ALSO PLENTY OF POWER TO KEEP YOU SATISFIED; GOOD THRUST DOWN LOW, AND IT KEEPS IT UP PRETTY WELL DOWN THE WHOLE TRACK.

WE HIT 60 IN 6.4 SECONDS.

SHIFTS HAPPEN VERY QUICKLY AND FIRMLY, BUT BETTER ENJOY IT WHILE YOU CAN, BENZ'S 9-SPEED WILL PROBABLY BE COMING SHORTLY.

ALL-IN-ALL THE CAR FEELS SNEAKY FAST, QUICKER FEELING THAN OUR 14.9 SECOND QUARTER MILE TIME AT 94 MILES PER HOUR.

A 120 FOOT AVERAGE STOPPING DISTANCE FROM 60 IS CERTAINLY ACCEPTABLE.

PEDAL FEEL WAS NICE AND FIRM, AND THE CAR VERY STABLE.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS WITH ALL-WHEEL DRIVE ARE 23-CITY, 29-HIGHWAY, AND 25-COMBINED.

SO, OUR 27.2 MILES PER GALLON AVERAGE OF PREMIUM WAS PRETTY GOOD.

BUT IT ONLY RATES AN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE OF 13.2 BARRELS OF YEARLY OIL USE WITH 5.9 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

C300 COUPE PRICES START AT $43,575; ONLY A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS OVER A BMW 4-SERIES COUPE, AND WE THINK WELL WORTH IT.

ADD 2-GRAND MORE FOR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE.

IN THE PAST, OWNING A C-CLASS COUPE OR ANY C-CLASS REALLY, CLEARLY FELT LIKE YOU WERE SETTLING FOR LESS THAN BENZ'S BEST.

NOT ANYMORE.

THE 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ C300 COUPE IS A FANTASTIC, SPORTY COUPE; THAT, LIKE THE C-CLASS SEDAN, NOW STANDS READY TO TAKE ON ALL COMERS.

OUR SUCCESS STORY THIS WEEK TAKES US TO HARDWICK, VERMONT... AND THE STATE'S NUMBER ONE FORD DEALER IN ELECTRIFIED VEHICLE SALES!

LAMOILLE VALLEY FORD KEEPS A BIG SELECTION OF BOTH C-MAX AND FUSION HYBRIDS ON THEIR LOT... AND THEY DRIVE OFF JUST AS FAST AS THEY COME IN.

THE DEALERSHIP SELLS ABOUT 700 VEHICLES PER YEAR... AROUND 100 OF THOSE DRIVE WITH ELECTRIC!

AND WITH TECHNOLOGY ONLY GETTING BETTER, MANY CUSTOMERS CHOOSE TO LEASE THEIR EV HYBRIDS.

Rick Welcome: WE EXPRESS TO CUSTOMERS THAT IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO THINK ABOUT THE LEASE PROGRAM BECAUSE IN 3-YEARS ALL OF THE SUDDEN, THAT 20 MILES PER CHARGE IS UP TO 40 OR 50, YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO GET INTO A NEW ONE AND DRIVE THE NEWEST AND BEST TECHNOLOGY.

WITH HELP FROM PARTNERS LIKE VERMONT CLEAN CITIES, AND THE FEE AND TAX INCENTIVES THAT COME ALONG WITH OWNING EV'S AND HYBRIDS, MORE AND MORE VERMONTERS ARE GOING FOR THE GREEN IN THE GREEN MOUNTAIN STATE!

WHEN LOOKING INTO ACQUIRING A USED CAR, FOR MOST FOLKS, LEASING INSTEAD OF BUYING THAT "PREVIOUSLY OWNED" CREAM PUFF ISN'T EVEN ON THEIR RADAR.

BUT, AS CAR PRICES HAVE CONTINUED TO RISE FASTER THAN INFLATION, USED VEHICLE LEASING HAS ALSO GROWN.

OUR FYI REPORTER LAUREN MORRISON LOOKS INTO THE PROS AND CONS OF THIS RISING TIDE.

Lauren Morrison: WE'VE SEEN LEASING AS A WHOLE REALLY TAKE OFF OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

IN FACT, ALMOST ONE OUT OF EVERY THREE NEW CARS IS LEASED!

Melinda Zabritski: AND WITH NEW LEASING JUST BECOMING SUCH A LARGE COMPONENT OF THE MARKET, AS THOSE VEHICLES COME BACK INTO THE RETAIL MARKET, WE'LL EXPECT QUITE A BIT OF THOSE VEHICLES TURN INTO USED LEASES.

Lauren: WHILE, THE USED LEASING MARKET STILL MAKES UP A SMALL PIECE OF THE LEASING PIE, IT IS ACCELERATING.

ACCORDING TO EXPERIAN'S STATE OF THE AUTOMOTIVE FINANCE MARKET REPORT, USED LEASING GREW FROM ABOUT 3.2 PERCENT IN 2015, TO AROUND 3.7 PERCENT IN 2016.

BUT IT'S BY VOLUME WHERE WE REALLY SEE THE SURGE.

Melinda: BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE DOING ABOUT 40,000 UNITS, LAST YEAR IT WAS ABOUT 30,000 UNITS A QUARTER, BEFORE THAT, IT WAS ONLY ABOUT 20,000.

Lauren: FROM A BUYER'S STANDPOINT, LEASING USED CAN MEAN MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET.

Melinda: OVERALL, WHEN YOU LOOK AT A LEASE, YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL AS A LEASE VERSUS A LOAN CAN BE ABOUT $100 LESS, AND THEN WHEN YOU MOVE INTO THE USED LEASE MARKET, AGAIN, YOU'VE GOT THAT SAVINGS.

Lauren: IT CAN ALSO OPEN DOORS TO MAKES AND MODELS THAT WEREN'T IN YOUR ORIGINAL PRICE RANGE.

THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE OF YOUNGER BUYERS THAT MIGHT WANT AN UPSCALE CAR, BUT WHOSE COLLEGE DEBT AND ENTRY LEVEL JOBS SEVERELY LIMIT HOW MUCH THEY CAN SPEND.

INSTEAD OF BUYING AN ENTRY LEVEL VEHICLE, MANY PEOPLE ARE CHOOSING THE USED LEASE OPTION AS A WAY TO GET INTO A LUXURY VEHICLE.

Lauren: STEVEN SZAKALY WITH THE NATIONAL AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION SAYS, USED LEASING IS STILL CONCENTRATED WITHIN THE LUXURY SEGMENT... Steven Szakaly: WE REALLY HAVEN'T SEEN IT A LOT IN SORT OF THE MASS MARKET BRANDS THAT YOU WOULD THINK WOULD START THIS LEASING PROGRAM.

Lauren: AND NOT ALL LENDERS ARE ON BOARD JUST YET... Melinda: WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A FEW BANKS AND A FEW CREDIT UNIONS MOVE INTO THE MARKET, BUT OVERALL, IT STILL TENDS TO BE A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF LENDERS WHO ARE ENGAGING IN USED LEASING.

Lauren: BUT AS MORE AND MORE OFF LEASE VEHICLES ROLL BACK ONTO LOTS, ALL SIGNS POINT TO CONTINUED GROWTH OF USED-LEASING.

John: DON'T WORRY...IT'S ONLY A LITTLE PROBLEM.

EVERYONE SAYS THAT ABOUT THEIR CAR AT SOME TIME OR OTHER.

SO, PAT GOSS IS HERE TO SHOW US WHY THAT ATTITUDE CAN MEAN BIG TROUBLE.

Pat Goss: A COMMON COMPLAINT THAT WE SEE IN MY REPAIR SHOP IS THAT MY ENGINE VIBRATES WHEN I'M SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHAT CAN I DO?

WELL, WE START TALKING TO THE CLIENT AND INVARIABLY THEY TELL US WELL I WENT TO ANOTHER SHOP AND THEY DID A TUNE UP AND THAT DIDN'T HELP ANYTHING.

WELL, FIRST THE WORD TUNE-UP SHOULD PUT YOU ON NOTICE THAT HEY, SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT BECAUSE TUNE-UPS REALLY DON'T EXIST ANYMORE.

ANYWAY, THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY.

ALRIGHT, ENGINE MOUNTS ARE A COMMON CAUSE OF THIS AND HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT CHECKING THEM?

WELL, YOU POWER BRAKE THE CAR, THAT'S THE MOST BASIC WAY TO DO IT.

AND WHAT MEANS IS THAT YOU HOLD THE BRAKE, AND YOU PUT IT IN DRIVE, AND ACCELERATE VERY GENTLY.

THE CAR DOESN'T MOVE, BUT SOMEBODY IS OUT HERE WITH THE HOOD OPEN, WATCHING THE ENGINE TO SEE IF IT LIFTS UP.

THEN, YOU DO THE SAME THING IN REVERSE.

IF THE ENGINE LIFTS UP AND BUMPS BACK DOWN, WELL YOU PROBABLY HAVE BAD ENGINE MOUNTS.

THING OF IT IS, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS WHATSOEVER ABOUT POWER BRAKING, HOW TO DO IT OR ANYTHING, MAKE SURE YOU TAKE IT TO A PROFESSIONAL, DON'T TRY IT YOURSELF BECAUSE IT'S DANGEROUS.

ANOTHER THING YOU CAN DO IS YOU CAN LOOK AT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE HOOD.

IF YOU SEE MARKS WHERE IT'S RUBBED CLEAN ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE HOOD, WELL, YOU MAY HAVE BAD ENGINE MOUNTS, AND THE ENGINE IS LIFTING UP, AND HITTING THE UNDERSIDE OF THE HOOD.

NOW, ANOTHER ONE THAT WE USE, THAT IS VERY EFFECTIVE, WE TAKE A FLOOR JACK AND A 2X6, PUT IT UNDER THE OIL PAN OF THE CAR, AND THEN AT LIKE A 16TH OF AN INCH AT A TIME; RAISE THE ENGINE UP WHILE THIS VIBRATION IS GOING ON AND SOMEBODY IS SITTING IN THE CAR.

SO, IF THE VIBRATION DOES AWAY, THEN YOU DO A VERY THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE MOUNTS AND EXPECT THAT YOU WILL HAVE ONE OR MORE BAD MOUNTS.

ALRIGHT, BUT THEN THE MOUNTS THEMSELVES.

YOU SEE, WE HAVE TWO MOUNTS HERE, LOOK PRETTY SIMILAR.

THIS ONE OF COURSE YOU CAN TELL HAS SOME AGE AND USE ON IT, LOOKING PRETTY RAGGED AROUND THE EDGES, OBVIOUSLY BAD.

THIS ONE ON THE OTHER HAND LOOKS PRETTY GOOD.

NOW, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT WE FIND.

THIS WAS PURCHASED OFF OF THE INTERNET, CHEAPEST GUY IN TOWN AND IT IS CHEAP.

NOW, THE PROBLEM WITH IT IS, IT VIBRATES AS BAD AS THIS WORN OUT ONE BECAUSE THE RUBBER IS NOT THE RIGHT COMPOUND, IT'S HARD AS A ROCK.

IT'S JUST LIKE BOLTING THE ENGINE TO THE CHASSIS OF THE CAR, AND THAT MEANS THAT THE VIBRATIONS, THE NORMAL VIBRATIONS OF THE ENGINE ARE TRANSMITTED INSIDE, AND THAT'S WHAT ENGINE MOUNTS ARE SUPPOSED TO PREVENT.

SO, IF YOU HAVE TO BUY ENGINE MOUNTS, MAKE SURE THEY'RE GOOD QUALITY.

MAKE SURE THE DIAGNOSIS IS CORRECT, BECAUSE SOME OF THEM HAVE VACUUM MOTORS IN THEM, SOME OF THEM HAVE ELECTRIC MOTORS IN THEM, SOME OF THEM ARE OIL FILLED, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF THEM AND SOME OF THEM ARE VERY EXPENSIVE, SO YOU WANT TO BE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT DROP ME A LINE RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

John: FINDING THE RIGHT RIDE IS A VERY PERSONAL THING.

AND THIS WEEK'S QUICKSPIN MIGHT JUST HELP YOU MAKE UP YOUR MIND.

THERE ARE MANY TIMES WHEN A SMALL CAR WILL DO JUST FINE SIZE WISE, BUT WE USUALLY WANT MORE OOMPH.

THAT'S WHERE THE 2017 NISSAN SENTRA SR TURBO COMES IN.

AT 188 HORSEPOWER, THE 1.6 LITER TURBOCHARGED ENGINE HAS 50% MORE PUNCH THAN THE STANDARD SENTRA.

YOU'D HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE 2012 SENTRA SE-R SPEC V TO FIND A MIGHTIER NISSAN COMPACT.

AND THIS NEW TURBO COMES WITH A STIFFER SUSPENSION AND LARGER FRONT DISC BRAKES TO BOOT.

THE 7TH GENERATION SENTRA GOT A MAJOR MAKE-OVER LAST YEAR.

OUTSIDE, THERE ARE SUBTLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE BASE SENTRA AND THIS BEEFIER BROTHER.

BOTH HAVE BOOMERANG-SHAPED HEADLIGHTS, BUT THE TURBO ADDS LED LOW BEAM PROJECTORS WITH LED ACCENTS.

BODY SIDE SILL EXTENSIONS ARE LOWER AND 17-INCH ALUMINUM-ALLOY WHEELS ARE BIGGER.

THE BOOMERANGS LANDED ALONGSIDE THE TAILLIGHTS TOO.

AN LED BRAKE LIGHT IN THE REAR SPOILER AND CHROME EXHAUST TIP ARE ALSO SIGNS THE TURBO PASSED YOU.

INSIDE, THE CABIN IS QUIETER, THANKS TO THICKER FRONT AND REAR GLASS.

DRIVING INFORMATION IS FRONT AND CENTER JUST BETWEEN THE TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER.

THE CENTER STACK FEATURES A 5-INCH DISPLAY.

SIRI EYES FREE VOICE RECOGNITION HELPS KEEP YOUR HANDS ON THE WHEEL AND YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD.

THE 2017 NISSAN SENTRA SR TURBO IS ON SALE NOW, AND THE PRICE STARTS JUST UNDER $22,000.

WANT SOMETHING A BIT SQUARER THAN A SMALL SEDAN?

HOW ABOUT A SMALL UTILITY!

NISSAN HAS HIGH HOPES FOR ITS 2017 ROGUE.

THE COMPANY EXPECTS IT WILL BE THEIR TOP-SELLER HERE NEXT YEAR, GOING MORE THAN A BIT UPMARKET AND DRAMATIC FOR THIS MID-CYCLE REFRESH.

UP FRONT, THE V-MOTION GRILLE PLUNGES DEEPER INTO THE REDESIGNED FASCIA, WHICH ALSO ADDS STANDARD LED DRLs, WITH OPTIONAL LED HEADLIGHTS.

IN THE BACK, SIGNATURE BOOMERANG TAILLIGHTS ARE INCLUDED, AND A MOTION-ACTIVATED LIFT GATE IS AVAILABLE.

INSIDE, THE FIVE OR SEVEN PASSENGER CABIN, THE DRIVER SETTLES BEHIND A NEW D-SHAPED STEERING WHEEL.

AS FOR TECHNOLOGY, INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL AND FORWARD EMERGENCY BRAKING WITH PEDESTRIAN DETECTION ARE OPTIONS AT THE TOP OF THE LINE.

AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, HYBRID MODELS JOIN THE ROGUE LINEUP.

HIGHWAY RATINGS ARE 35 MPG FOR FRONT DRIVE AND 34 MPG FOR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE.

YOU'LL FIND THE 2017 NISSAN ROGUE AT DEALERS NOW STARTING AT LESS THAN $24,000.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICKSPIN'S SOON!

LOS ANGELES MAY BE BEST KNOWN FOR MAKING MOVIES, BUT THIS TIME OF YEAR IT'S THE CARS THAT ARE UNDER THE LIGHTS.

AND, YOLANDA VAZQUEZ HAS THE TRAILER IN THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

Yolanda Vazquez: TECHNOLOGY AND CARS CAME TOGETHER IN LOS ANGELES FOR AUTOMOBILITY LA.

BOTH INDUSTRIES REVEALED WHAT'S NEW, BEFORE THE DOORS OPENED FOR THE 2016 LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW.

JAGUAR UNVEILED THEIR FIRST ELECTRIC VEHICLE...THE I-PACE.

THIS SLEEK SUV-ISH 5-DOOR WILL HAVE TWO ELECTRIC MOTORS PRODUCING A TOTAL OF 400 HORSEPOWER WITH A TARGETED RANGE OF 220 MILES.

EXPECT THE CONCEPT IN 2018.

JAGUAR IS ALSO RECREATING THE ICONIC XKSS.

THEY'VE ALREADY SOLD THE 9 THAT WILL BE HAND-MADE TO REPLACE THOSE DESTROYED IN A FIRE IN 1957.

THE ALL-NEW LAND ROVER DISCOVERY ALSO CROSSED THE POND.

WE TRIED OUT THE TOW ASSIST TECHNOLOGY.

CHEVROLET UNLEASHED THE NEW COLORADO ZR2.

THIS MID-SIZE PICK-UP IS OFF-ROAD READY.

AND DIRT TRAILS INSPIRED THE ACCENTS ON THE 2017 CHEVROLET SPARK ACTIV.

THE 2018 ALFA ROMEO STELVIO MID-SIZE UTILITY ROLLED ONTO THE WORLD STAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME.

THE REDESIGNED MAZDA CX-5 WILL FINALLY GET DIESEL POWER.

SUBARU CONTINUED THE SUV THEME WITH WHAT THEY SAY WILL BE THE BIGGEST VEHICLE THEY'VE EVER BUILT: THE VIZIV-7.

VOLKSWAGEN SHOWED OFF THE 2018 ATLAS 3-ROW CROSSOVER UTILITY.

VW ALSO, UNVEILED A POSSIBLE POWERFUL ADDITION TO THEIR LINE-UP: THE 280 HORSEPOWER PASSAT GT CONCEPT.

ANOTHER FIRST FOR THE WORLDWIDE AUDIENCE IS THE 2017 JEEP COMPASS.

IT REPLACES BOTH THE PREVIOUS COMPASS AND PATRIOT.

IT WILL HAVE 17 POWERTRAIN OPTIONS.

VERSATILITY ALSO COMES IN SMALL PACKAGES FROM FORD, WITH THE NORTH AMERICAN REVEAL OF THE ECOSPORT.

MERCEDES BENZ BROUGHT A LOT TO LA.

NATURALLY, THE MAYBACH S650 CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT THERE'S A CABRIOLET, BUT ONLY FOR 300 DRIVERS.

PORSCHE DREW A CROWD WITH THE 5-POINT-9 INCH LONGER PANAMERA EXECUTIVE.

AND WITH ALL THE ATTENTION TO PACKING IN MORE PEOPLE.

HONDA IS PACKING MORE POWER INTO THE CIVIC SI.

AND THAT'S THE LATEST AUTOMOTIVE UPDATE FROM THE CITY OF ANGELS FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

THE KIA CADENZA IS A CAR THAT ALWAYS SEEMS TO GET LOST IN THE SHUFFLE OF KIA SEDANS.

IT JUST SITS WAITING TO BE DEALT TO MORE BUYERS.

NOW, THOSE WILLING TO TAKE A GAMBLE ON A LESS FAMILIAR NAME HAVE BEEN COMING OUT WINNERS BY PAYING A LITTLE AND GETTING A LOT.

WELL NOW, KIA IS HOPING AN ALL-NEW CADENZA WILL TILT THE ODDS EVEN MORE TOWARDS A WINNING STREAK.

* THE FULL-SIZE KIA CADENZA SEDAN ARRIVED AT MID-CYCLE WHEN IT DEBUTED HERE FOR 2014.

SO, THIS 2017 CADENZA IS ALL-NEW AFTER JUST 3-YEARS ON THE MARKET.

WHEN IT ORIGINALLY WENT ON SALE HERE, IT WAS KIA'S FLAGSHIP, AND WE FELT IT WAS WORTHY OF THE TITLE.

BUT BEING A FLAGSHIP, LIMITED SALES WERE TO BE EXPECTED.

WELL, NOW THAT THE K900 IS KIA'S TOP CAR, IT'S TIME FOR THE CADENZA TO BOOST SALES AND BE A VIABLE MEMBER OF THEIR 4-DOOR PORTFOLIO.

THERE ARE THREE CADENZA MODELS; PREMIUM, TECHNOLOGY, AND SX LIMITED; ALL GETTING DISTINCTIVE EXTERIOR TOUCHES, AND ALL LOOKING MORE LUXURIOUS THAN BEFORE.

APPARENTLY, THIS ROAD TEST WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTER Z, AS YOU'LL SEE HINTS OF THE LETTER THROUGHOUT THE CAR; PARTICULARLY IN HEAD AND TAIL LIGHTING.

NEW SAFETY FEATURES INCLUDE AUTOMATIC BRAKING, WHICH WE FOUND TO BE ONE OF THE BEST SYSTEMS YET, WITH QUICK STOPS EVERY TIME, AND NEXT-LEVEL BLIND SPOT MONITORING THAT APPLIES THE BRAKES TO KEEP YOU FROM MERGING INTO SOMEONE.

[ENGINE STARTS UP] THE CADENZA IS STILL FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE ONLY, SO ESSENTIALLY IT'S A BIGGER OPTIMA.

BUT IT'S STANDARD 3.3 LITER V6 IS A WORTHY STEP UP, THOUGH WE STILL CONSIDER IT RIGHT ABOUT ADEQUATE.

AND POWER NUMBERS ARE ACTUALLY DOWN SLIGHTLY FROM LAST YEAR TO 290 HORSEPOWER, AND 253 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

BUT, THERE'S A NEW 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THAT MAKES UP FOR IT.

WE FOUND IT SILKY SMOOTH, BUT WITH A DEFINITE PRIORITY ON LUXURY FEEL OVER PERFORMANCE.

GEARS ARE SELECTED WITH A TRADITIONAL CONSOLE-MOUNTED SHIFTER.

RIDE QUALITY IS COMPLIANT, MORE MID-SIZE SEDAN THAN FULL-SIZE LUXURY; COMFORTABLE AND QUIET WITH JUST ENOUGH TIGHTNESS FOR A HINT OF A SPORTY EDGE.

SIMILAR IN FEEL TO THE NEW BUICK LACROSSE, AND EVERY BIT AS QUIET INSIDE AS WELL.

* AT OUR TEST TRACK, AFTER SPINNING UP THE TIRES AT LAUNCH; IT TOOK US 3-TENTHS LONGER TO GET TO 60 MILES PER HOUR THAN BACK IN '14, AT 7.3 SECONDS.

THE NEW 8-SPEED DOES INDEED MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE DOWN THE TRACK HOWEVER, AS WE FINISHED THE QUARTER-MILE IN THE EXACT SAME 15.5 SECONDS AT 94 MILES PER HOUR.

POWER DELIVERY IS ALSO SMOOTH, AND ALL IS VERY QUIET INSIDE EVEN AT WIDE OPEN THROTTLE.

IN TOTAL, IT'S A RATHER POSH EXPERIENCE.

AND DESPITE A SHORT 118 FOOT AVERAGE STOPPING DISTANCE FROM 60, IT REMAINED VERY CALM FEELING IN PANIC BRAKING SITUATIONS AS WELL, WITH FIRM AND SMOOTH PEDAL TRAVEL, TO GO WITH THE CONSISTENT FADE FREE STOPS.

AND IT CONTINUED TO IMPRESS US ON OUR CONE COURSE, WITH NICE, FLAT HANDLING AND MUCH MORE GRIP THROUGH HERE THAN EXPECTED.

IT DOESN'T PRETEND TO BE A SPORTS CAR, IT JUST HAS VERY GOOD BALANCE AND MANAGEABLE AMOUNTS OF UNDERSTEER.

STEERING WAS VERY QUICK, WITH GOOD WEIGHT AND EVEN PLENTY OF FEEDBACK.

AS YOU MIGHT GUESS, THINGS ARE QUITE LUXURIOUS INSIDE, LOOKING FULLY ON PAR WITH LEXUS AND THE LIKE.

WE LIKE THE DASH LAYOUT WITH CLEAR GAUGES, AND TWO NEATLY STACKED PODS OF CLIMATE AND AUDIO CONTROLS.

THERE ARE ALSO, INTERIOR FEATURES YOU MIGHT NOT EXPECT LIKE EXTENDING SEAT CUSHIONS, AND SELF-REGULATING SEAT HEATERS.

THERE'S A LITTLE MORE LEGROOM IN THE FIXED REAR SEAT THAN PREVIOUS GEN, THANKS TO A SLIGHTLY LONGER WHEELBASE, BUT THE SLOPING ROOFLINE CAUSES SOME HEADROOM TIGHTNESS FOR TALLER PASSENGERS.

THE TRUNK TOO IS A LITTLE TIGHT FOR ITS CLASS AT 16 CUBIC FEET.

BUT, THERE IS STILL AN ARMREST PASS THROUGH FOR LONG ITEMS.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 20-CITY, 28-HIGHWAY, AND 23-COMBINED ON REGULAR GRADE.

FOR AN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE, WITH 14.3 BARRELS OF YEARLY OIL USE, ALONG WITH 6.3 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

PRICING FOR THE CADENZA STARTS AT $32,890, WITH TOP LIMITED TRIM COMING IN AT $45,290.

SO, WITH THE 2017 KIA CADENZA NO LONGER BEING A BRAND SHOWCASE, IT MUST ESTABLISH ITSELF AS A TRUE ALTERNATIVE TO OTHER FULL-SIZERS LIKE THE CHEVROLET IMPALA AND FORD TAURUS, AS WELL AS PLAY THE PREMIUM ROLE AGAINST THE BUICK LACROSSE AND TOYOTA AVALON.

THAT'S A TALL ORDER, ESPECIALLY AS MORE AND MORE LARGE SEDAN BUYERS ARE JUMPING INTO CROSSOVERS.

STILL, THE CADENZA REPRESENTS AN EXCELLENT STEP UP FROM THE MID-SIZE OPTIMA.

IT'S ONE BIG, WELL EXECUTED 4-DOOR THAT SHOULD BE ANOTHER KIA WINNING HAND.

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME, WHEN WE'LL SEE WHICH 3-ROW SUVs WILL SUIT BIG FAMILIES BEST, AND DRIVE AN ALL NEW SPORTS CAR WITH DEEP ROOTS.

'TIL THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS, WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK .

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... TIRERACK WANTS YOU TO BE SMART WITH YOUR CAR.

Man: "YO DANNY, MY MAN!

HA, HA, HA."

Announcer: THEY CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIRES FOR YOUR VEHICLE AND HAVE THEM SHIPPED TO A LOCAL INSTALLER.

TIRERACK.COM.

* Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

*