Bucket Seat: KIA Sonet LX

I always get excited when I get a new KIA rolling into my driveway to test drive, there's just something about this brand that excites me with every model they make. While they may be overshadowed in the market by their parent company Hyundai, I still feel that for an overall product KIA offers a better package. Most of the models are almost identical in their base platforms with each brand configuring their cars to their own brand philosophy and pricing structure and that is where KIA edges it for me. The Sonet is their smallest SUV offering and last year I had the EX automatic version but due to the Durban riots taking place that week I spent with it, I never got the opportunity to drive it much, so this year when I spent a week with the LX Manual version, I made sure I did it plenty justice and this little number did not disappoint. 

DESIGN

The Sonet is based on the same platform that Hyundai's Venue is built on, with design tweaks and interior changes to suit each brand. The bold styling from KIA really gives this tiny car a lot more presence, the bulk on the sides, large grille and well placed colour coded panels make the Sonet look extremely attractive, even in this bottom of the range model. The car still exudes a certain amount of elegance even with it being a crossover and with its size has that charm to it. I received many comments during my time with the Sonet at how neat the overall design was.  The front headlights tie-in neatly to the grill with the bottom border of the grille finished in brushed matte aluminum that also features on the bottom front bumper scuff plate. This LX model comes fitted with 15" alloy-wheels while the EX gets the large 16" 5-spoke bi-clour rims. The back is where you'd find some similarities with the Hyundai Venue, more especially where the tailgate window is. The new KIA logo is well prominent on the back but I think it still is taking some time for people to get used to it, as it looks more like KN at a quick glance than KIA. On the interior, everything is pretty much the same as you'd find in other KIA models, well spaced and laid out. 

PERFORMANCE

Both models in the Sonet line-up are powered by a 1.5L naturally-aspirated engine which is offered with either a 6-speed manual or a 5-speed CVT automatic gearbox. I had the 6-speed manual derivative which I found to be the right choice, especially for a small engine like this as the CVT might get tiresome when doing trips around town as it searches for gears or delays them in changing. Power output on this motor is 85kW and 144Nm of torque. There is a top speed of 170km/h which is probably achievable but obviously not on public roads but with a car like this there isn't a need for you to be traveling at such speeds. I took the Sonet on a long road trip from Durban to Underberg with 3 adults, with the terrain being pretty mountainous, I was worried if the 1.5L motor would cope with the full cabin but I think this is where the manual gearbox came to shine, climbing up the passes proved to be easy work for the Sonet as I navigated the many bends that came our way with ease as well. The car felt really well balanced and had little to no body roll when taking turns at speed. While the brochure has no real indication on the average fuel consumption, I managed to get about 6.1L per 100km which is pretty decent. 

COMFORT

Like I said previously, the Sonet is the smallest SUV in the brands line-up and while the size of the car is quite small, the cabin is quite spacious. It doesn't have enough space for one to stretch out but with our 3 hour drive, there wasn't a need for us to stop and get some fresh air as we all managed just fine while in the car. There was hardly much road noise in the cabin, apart from the road surface changes but these were drowned out by the cars sound system which isn't anything to write home about but it was decent enough. The car came with air-conditioning but not climate control, what I liked was the large 8"-touchscreen infotainment screen which is very user friendly and has built-in mobile apps for smartphone users. Google's Android Auto came in very handy for my trip. The steering wheel is well equipped with all the necessary buttons and switches to make the drivers life much easier when driving. The instrument cluster is also digital which has a large display for your speed. Finishing in the car is great with a good use of plastics and materials that feel good quality and not cheap and nasty. The infotainment screen and instrument cluster border is finished off in a high gloss black that gives a nice luxurious touch to it. 

VERDICT

Overall, the Sonet is a well put together unit and even with this lower end model, it really feels like a great product and value for money. This particular model will cost you about R3,899 a month with a 5 year unlimited kilometer warranty. Insurance on these type of cars won't cost you an arm and a leg so if you're an average driver you could be on the road with a brand new Sonet for about R4,500 a month.  The ride quality on a KIA is really good and I've never had any issues with any of their models in this aspect, the Sonet was no different, while it is small you can't expect a lot from the luggage capacity but in saying that, the Sonet has 392L which is excellent for a car this size. My only regret is that I never really got to spend more time behind the wheel with the EC model because this LX model was such a good car to drive, I can only imagine how the EX would have been. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1.5L
Gear Box	6-Speed Manual
Torque	144Nm
Power	85kW
Top Speed	170km
Price	R285,995

Bucket Seat: Hyundai i30N

This review was meant to go out on Christmas Day last week but with everyone, eating, drinking and being merry, including myself I decided to postpone it and let it be my final review of the year. It would have been fitting for Christmas seeing that the car was red but oh well, you getting to read about the car now so be quiet. There is many adjectives I can use to describe the Hyundai i30N, controversial being the first one, simply because of the public uproar over the pricing. I get many were upset over the price which is just under 700K but this is the Korean manufacturers first performance model, one that was not going to make our shores at all but after much outcry they heeded the call and brought in a few units. The ones whom are making the most noise are most likely never going to buy or experience this car, so they can go on venting their frustration on the internet about it but after spending a week with it, bly me Hyundai, all I can say is what took you so long!

DESIGN

The i30N is a brand new design, looks nothing like the current i30N model on the market and probably a good thing to because it gets people to notice you. After-all it is a car that cost almost R700,000, you want to stick out a bit. As mentioned the car was red in colour with black accents around the car which included the roof, which three-quarters of it was the massive panoramic glass sunroof. The wheels, massive 19" multi-spoke, bi-colour rims with clear view of the huge brake discs and red calipers. The front end is very sporty with the pointed front and the trapezoid grille and X style venting, having the Hyundai badge center with the N to the side. The number plate slots right in the middle just below the front difuser. The LED day-time running fogs give the car that extra highlight when looking at it from the front. From the side, it looks like your average hatchback but the back continues the sporty theme with a large rear difusser which houses the raucous twin tailpipes. The rear lights are LED with a pattern that follows the outline. The rear wing almost looks like an extension of the roof and has a single join at the center which house a triangle break light. All very sporty and enhances the cars aggressive look. On the inside, the car is set up to be a drivers car with the cockpit being very driver centric, the front seats are racing seats and if look carefully in the trunk, you will notice bit of the roll cage being exposed. 

PERFORMANCE

So, all that money for a Hyundai, what am I getting? Well apart from the 2.0-litre turbo-charged petrol engine which delivers 202kW and 353Nm of torque, with a 6-speed manual gearbox, electronically limited  top speed of 250kph, you're probably getting one of the best driver intuitive hot hatch on the market. This car evokes emotions that you want from a car, while there are various driving modes such as ECO and Normal, you're only going to want to drive it in sport but once you get to know the car you can even go and customize your driving profile, deciding from power, exhaust volume, power delivery and even steering. The car lets you command what you want from it, and when you want it. The front wheels are fitted with an electronically limited slip differential, traction control and stability control (ESC) these can be switched off at your own digression. The cars infotainment has an application called N Mode which is perfect for tracking performance, gives you live telemetry and also allows you to go back to the last 30 minutes of driving so you can check where the optimum performance levels were and where you were slacking. It also has a timer for 0-100km which was rather fun to use as well, the best I managed was 6.10 seconds which is not that far off from the 6.2 seconds claimed time. The clutch on the i30N is pretty heavy and took some getting used to but you appreciate why they've done that after driving it around, with the short gear changes, its good to have it and also provides such great feedback that you just want to keep on going. Also when you push the clutch in, the exhaust lets out a few pops and bangs to get the people around you aware that you're there. The car manages brilliantly on corners as it does on the straight stretch, the amount of control you have with the rigid body and big tyres, the car almost mocks you to say attack that corner more, give it more power as you navigate the twist's, the gearbox is also lenient with you, allowing you to drive at the lower or higher gear, giving you a boost to sort when you exit the corners, also for those moments when you have lapse in judgement and end up switching the car off, just push the clutch back in and the car starts itself up. 

COMFORT

Look, its a performance hatch back, so you're not going to get Rolls Royce luxury, and I even said it has a roll cage, well half of one for added support so that alone tells you that this isnt going to be the most comfortable ride. In Eco and Normal mode, the suspension does its best to keep it calm on the ride but I was all about that Sport mode life, suffice to say it was rather bumper but the seats are good at keeping you in your place, pretty snug and comfortable and it even has a heating function! The layout of the cabin is very spacious, the seats are also electronically controlled with memory seats, the car has dual climate control as well to regulate temperature in the cabin, the car has a huge infotainment touch-screen with bluetooth connectivity, there was no sign of Apple Car Play or Android auto but to honest I didn't really care. There was a wireless charging mat for your smartphone so probably there is an add on app or software update that could give you smartphone app connectivity in the future. The steering which and instrument cluster is blody brilliant, with a multifunction wheel, the only buttons I was interested in was driving mode and the custom race button which gets you into sports mode with one push of the button. Easy enough to get you from driving miss daisy to racing Vin Diesel. The car has adaptive headlights which navigate through bends and switches on the brights in dark roads, there is also rain sensitive wipers and my favourite feature was the rally style LED lights on the dash which light up when red-lining. 

VERDICT

The i30N is a beast in its own right and deserves to be lauded and spoken in the same breath as the Golf GTI, Renault Megane RS and Honda Civic Type R. While many still won't be keen on it, its a breath of fresh air to the hot-hatch segment offering its own unique take on what a hot-hatch should be. It's a brilliant first attempt from Hyundai and with a confirmed i20N due next year, one can only anticipate how good that will be. Yes, R679,000 is a lot but when you're comparing apples, this car offers a lot more than its competition and also the overall feel you get when driving it is incomparable to some of the others. Hyundai, you've blown me away with this one, I really didn't want to hand back the keys, it was blimming good fun and I'm jealous of the owners of this model, one of which I passed in Umhlanga while driving around, judging by the massive smile on her face, I could tell she is very happy with the purchase. Also the i30N comes with Hyundai's standard 5 year/150 000km manufacturers warranty which can be extended by 2 more years. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	2.0L Turbo-Petrol T-GDI
Gear Box	6-speed manual
Torque	353Nm
Power	202kW
Economy	8.5L per 100km
Price	R679,000

 

Bucket Seat: Ford Figo Sedan

It's been a while since we had a Ford to review but I'm glad we eventually got one, even though the Figo isn't much to write home about in terms of aesthetics and appeal, it still is a very important car for the brand and for the market in general. The Ford Figo has come a long way as a car, from being just a reboot of the old Fiesta to giving itself it's own identity in the market. With the local launch of the Figo taking place mid last year, I was finally given the opportunity to drive one, albeit the sedan and not the hatch, around for a week towards the end of the year and go to say, Ford have really "leveled up" with this one. 

DESIGN

The Figo was always an odd looking car but with this new model its finally coming into its own. I love the front of the Figo, that new grille with like a 3 dimensional design to it finished in brushed aluminum gives the car some level of elegance and dare I say, luxury appeal. The grille sits prominently but low and is the first thing that gets your attention of the car. The front bump is shaped well and its outlined by a splitter also finished in brushed aluminium that goes around the fog light housing, it just adds more dimension to the front end and really does like quite smart. The headlights have been redesigned and bares resemblance to the Fiesta a bit but has an elongated fin type finish to it. The general shape of the Figo is "bubble shaped" but works well unlike other models which tried this approach. The reason for it is to maximise space in the cabin. Moving along to the back, is where most budget hatch come sedan's tend to struggle with the addition of the boot. Most of them can be quite painful to look at but kudos to the design team at Ford because the boot flows quite well with the overall design of the car. The lines extend on the side profile upwards to the back and extends to the boot space. My only grip would be that the tail lights could have been finished better but that is just me. 

PERFORMANCE

The Figo comes powered with the 1.5TiVCT naturally aspirated 4 cylinder petrol engine. It's a strong motor from Ford and at the coast it performs exceptionally well. With 88kW and 150Nm of toque at its disposal, it makes easy meat of city travelling. The car is compact and light which helps the engine a lot in terms of performance, so even if you're on the open road, there really isn't a struggle to get the Figo up to speed. The 5 speed manual gear box is a treat and slotting it into gear is like slipping a hot knife into butter, this is helped by a smooth clutch. The combined fuel economy is listed in the brochure of being 5.7L per 100km, which is very achievable as I was hovering around the 6L mark with quite a variant of driving. The Figo isn't going to win you any drag races with its 0-100km/h time coming in at 11.8 seconds and its top speed capped at 175km/h but that's not what this car is made for and I'm guessing their target market knows that as well. 

COMFORT

As mentioned before that the overall shape is catered to increase the cabin space and it's pretty comfortable for four adults travelling in the Figo sedan. The car comes with cloth seats which are decent size and quite comfy, doesn't feel hard or rigid. Interior comfort is enhances with a manual air-conditioner. It has electric windows with a one touch power down for driver only. The in-car entertainment features a four speaker system with bluetooth and USB connectivity. Safety wise, the Figo comes fitted with two airbags, one for the driver and the front passenger and has anti-lock braking system. 

VERDICT

Overall the Ford Figo Trend is a great offering for the price tag it has, it's loaded with most of the essentials that one needs in a city car and the ride quality along with fuel economy just justifies its presence in the market as one of the better budget cars to get. While the car won't win any beauty contests, Ford have done a great job with the details on the Trend spec to make it look appealing. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1.5L NA
Gear Box	5 Speed Manual
Power	88kW
Torque	150Nm
0-100	11.8 seconds
Economy	5.7 L/100km
Price	R 197,950

Bucket Seat: KIA Picanto 1.2MT Smart

So a couple weeks ago I spent a week with the new KIA Picanto, it was my first time driving one of these ultra small hatchbacks and truth be told, before getting it I was a bit pessimistic about driving it. I mean you see these cars on the road, they are like half the size of a normal car and all you can think about is how safe is it really? Some even go as far to dub the cars in this segment as "a coffin on wheels", that is quite a statement hence I thought I'd use the time with the car to not only see what it had to offer but to also dismiss these absurd fears that many seem to have about them. Give this KIA and others like it some voice that their are actually better than many think they are. 

DESIGN

The car I received was the range topping 1.2 Smart Manual Transmission, the Picanto comes in four variants, Start, Street, Style and Smart with differences in the range are the cosmetics and extras with the choice of two engines. The Picanto has grown and matured through the years and it's reached the stage where it's design is aimed and appealing to the younger market, during my time with the car it was the youth that it got turning heads and getting a second look. The design is spunky, the car has a pretty stout stance but the design of the car is very bold that add's bulk to it. The colour in which I got it from was "Lime Light" which made it even more outstanding, there are 11 colours for you choose from, again giving you the option to make your little Picanto unique and to your taste.  The addition of the new LED lights in the front and back add to the character of the car and apart from making the car visible to others, it looks really cool! On the interior, they have made some changes but the key one being the large infotainment touch screen display which was also in the Rio but more about that later. 

PERFORMANCE

The Picanto is ultimately a city car, with it's size and weight, the two engine sizes the car comes in is perfect for it. The 1.0 litre engine is an in-line 3 cylinder, 12 valve DOHC engine, while the 1.2 litre which I had has an in-line 4 cylinder, 16 valve DOHC. The max power output on the 1.2 is 61kW with torque coming in at 122Nm which is more than enough power to carry this 1.3 tonne car around. The 1.2 is pretty nippy and with the short wheel base makes the car extremely fun to drive around. The turning circle on the car is amazing and best of all, parking the car is effortless, be it alley docking or parallel parking but if you still have difficulty, the Picanto comes with rear PDC's and a reverse camera. On the road, the car drives well, even with it being light it sits great on the road and the economy with fuel consumption makes my wallet smile. With the tight turning circle it makes cornering fun and really does make the drive all that more enjoyable. 

COMFORT

It is a small car, so don't expect much in terms of space, while the drive and front passenger can sit pretty comfortable in some rather nice seats I must add, not sure how comfortable the rear passengers will be. In saying that I did have 4 adults in the car a few times and surprisingly didn't have much complaints. On the road, the ride quality is faultless, not much wind noise in the cabin and it feels pretty solid. Which comes back to the safety concern which is raised by many. A motor manufacturer isn't going to produce a car on the market that isn't safe, the Picanto uses more than 44% advanced high strength steel in its chassis and has received a 4 star NCAP safety rating which is pretty good if you ask me. 

TECH

With the infotainment center, the car like the Rio has the build applications for Apple Car Play and Google Android Auto. Since it took me a while to hack the Android Auto with the Rio, I was ready to test it out fully with the Picanto, while this isn't an advertisement for Android Auto, but it just works so well with the car. Voice commands not even with a touch of a button, just tell it what you want and it will do it, from getting your directions, choosing music, reading texts and whatsapp messages or calling someone. The KIA also has a great entertainment center should you not have any access to these apps all which is easily accessible and manage on the large touch screen. The car also came with a glass sunroof, handy little extra when you 

VERDICT

To put those myths that I spoke of earlier to bed, yes the Picanto is small, yes it is light in weight but it is no where as unsafe as perceived to be, in fact its the total opposite. With a high NCAP safety rating and multiple airbags, it's one of the safest cars in its class on the road today. It's a cute but funky little car, definitely great for young drivers, the added technology and features that is available with the Picanto is also a major draw card for the people who are more in-tune and want to have the latest tech in their car. With the great drivability of the car, easy maneuvering and comfort of it, really adds up to one exciting package and great for urban driving. So whether it be a city run around or something for a first time driver, the Picanto really is a great all round car. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1.2 litre, in-line 4 cylinder DOHC
Gear Box	5 Speed Manual
Power	61kW
Torque	122Nm
Top Speed	170km/h
Fuel Tank	35L
Price	R 195,995

Photography by: Malusi Msomi aka DBN Spotter

Twitter: @dbn_spotter

Instagram: dbn_spotter

Website: dbnspotter.com

Behind the scenes video of the shoot.

Drone footage by Avish_Karr & mvrc1988

Camera footage by amg133

Bucket Seat: KIA Rio 1.4 TEC

I won't lie, I'm pretty lucky that I get to drive some amazing cars from top class manufacturers. More often than not, the cars I drive I can't really afford and its always those expensive ones that get you excited but there comes a time when I get a car, knowing that it's in my price range of what I could buy and it just blows my mind, the new KIA Rio did just that. The Korean car market has really come around in leaps and bound, not only proving to be a major competitor to the Japanese market but impacting the global market on a large scale. KIA is one of the manufacturers that has contributed to this success and when you look at their products, you can understand why. Not only are they making cars that can rival the opposition on pricing but also technology, style and quality. After driving the new Rio for 7 days, it was a bitter sweet moment giving it back as I really got attached to the car and this is how it went down. 

STYLE

KIA Motors chief designer, Peter Schreyer who is also one of three presidents of the company has really set the right design language for the brand. While the previous generation Rio was pretty good, the new look is more Euro-centric, by means of clean lines, more square edges and trims but overall very professional looking. The ex Audi design chief has incorporated some of the styling from the German manufacturer in KIA's interior design but added it's own flair to it. The car has new LED headlamps which pronounce the cars front end as well as the LED rear lights add lovely detail to the back of the car. The 1.4 TEC model which I had came with a few extras that really enhanced the car, for starters it had 17" rims, glass sunroof and large touch screen infotainment screen which also had Apply Car Play and Google Android Auto but more about that later. The interior design is very sleek with some similarities to the previous model, many will recognize some of the switched and dials from the old Rio but it still looks great. 

PERFORMANCE

The KIA Rio comes in two engine variants, a 1.2 and 1.4 both of which are available in manual or automatic transmission. Both engines are in-line 4 cylinder 16 valve Double OverHead Cam with CVVT which basically mean you have two separate camshafts, one for intake valves and one for exhaust valves. This coupled with the CVVT design reduces valvetrain inertia which leads to a more responsive output. Some figures from the engine is that  pushes out 74kW and has a Max Torque of 135Nm. For a hatch it size, it is adequate power but on lower gears I did find the engine to be a bit tame. It only really opens up between 4th and 6th. This goes to show with its 0-100km/h time, but one has to realise, while it does look rather smart, this isn't a hot hatch so if it's performance you're after, look elsewhere as this car does everything perfectly apart from that. Another major plus side to that is the economy, I swear I thought this was a diesel at the end of my 7 days, I couldn't fathom how a tiny car like this with me pushing the limits hardly drank fuel. I managed to rack up just over 600km's with it and it still had a range of 100km! remarkable. 

COMFORT

I spoke early about the Audi influence in KIA's design philosophy, while their are similarities I'm sure the brand would like to say they've created their own. The KIA Rio was extremely comfortable, the ride quality is unbelievably soft even with the large rims, For a hatch, I found that very surprising but pleasing at the same time. The car came with leather seats, which were pretty good quality as well. It wasn't that stiff leather that normally makes it hard to slide in and out. Space wise, even though it is a relatively small car, it was rather spacious, even for the rear passengers. The boot space was more than adequate for a smell weekend away. The climate control aircon ensured the cabin stayed at a comfortable temperature. 

TECHNOLOGY

As mentioned before in this post, the car came with built-in Apply Car Play and Google Android Auto. This is relatively new to South African motorists and for me, is the future of in car connectivity. When I say it's relatively new, while Apple Car Play is available for iPhone users, Google is yet to make Android Auto available for the local market, since I am an Android user, I found a loophole to get the app installed onto my device, it wasn't rocket science and in no time I was all set. No idea why but with these services, it requires your phone to be plugged into the USB port, even though the car has Bluetooth connectivity. With Android Auto, the infotainment screen came alive, first thing it does is disables your phones screen so everything you want is available on the cars display, from Maps, to contacts, calls and music! What's even better, Googles voice activated menu is active at all times so you don't have to fiddle around pressing buttons or selecting menus, you can control virtually everything by just talking to the car! It really is the future of in-car entertainment and information, I hope to see other manufacturers make use of this in the future. 

VERDICT

I get to drive some pretty cool cars, pretty expensive ones too but I didn't expect a car of this level to wow me as it did. Yes, it wasn't the fastest but in today's pace and roads cluttered with traffic, who has the time or space to go fast? The new Rio has everything you need in a car and with it being up to date with most of the tech which included reverse came and easy to use cellphone connectivity with Car Play and Android Auto, there isn't much one needs more in that space. The car is comfortable, a great city car and can be equally great for the open road. This honestly is the best car I've driven all year, it's price fits my pocket, it has everything I need and it looks great! 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1.4 litre, 4 cylinder, DOHC CVVT
Gear Box	6 speed manual
Power	74kW
Torque	130Nm
Top Speed	176km/h
0-100km	13.2  seconds
Price	R 274,995*

*Excluding Extras