Kia Advice

The Stinger launched with a 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine in higher specs which produces an impressive 272kW and 510Nm of torque. So, what’s the Stinger’s 0-100km/h time?

Once you dismiss the differences in the bodywork and the individual tuning of the suspension, it’s obvious they come from the same rootstock.It’s the same with the Kia Sportage and Hyundai ix35, and just about everything else in the two brands’ showrooms. Kia has its Soul and Grand Carnival, and Hyundai has the Veloster and coming Genesis luxury sedan but the mainstream stuff is identical.That’s no surprise. The companies are part of the same giant South Korean industrial complex, which manufactures everything up to supertankers. Hyundai and Kia began separately and the latter is actually the older company, with a history running back to 1944. When it ran into trouble in the Asian economic meltdown it was brought into the Hyundai family with a bailout package that has also included shared development and basic model plans.In Australia, Hyundai and Kia are take-no-prisoners rivals but in some countries they are bundled together. In Canada, Hyundai-Kia rates second on the sales charts and is only trumped by Chrysler. If you did the same thing in Australia, the South Korean combination would also rate second overall. Hyundai was fourth in the 2013 rankings behind Toyota, Holden and Mazda with sales of 97,006 vehicles.When you tip in the extras from Kia, the number jumps to 126,874, a total eclipsed only by the 214,630 of Toyota. Combine i30 and Cerato tallies, to 36,367, and they’re still in fourth - but they move the total further ahead of Commodore and only 3000 short of the third-placed Toyota HiLux.But don’t expect anyone at either Kia or Hyundai in Australia - the red and the blue teams, as they are known, because of their corporate colours - to push for any sort of alliance. “The two companies are set up to compete,” says Kia spokesman Kevin Hepworth.Part of that competition led Kia to push strongly for a local “personality” in its cars, something provided by engineering and suspension guru Graeme Gambold. It’s no surprise that Hyundai is now doing something similar, with a different feel.Hyundai and Kia are not alone on the South Korean front. Daewoo cars conveniently fly Holden badges and Ssangyong the country third, behind Japan and Thailand. That places Thailand as a photocopy country producing runs of cars designed somewhere else - think the excellent Ford Ranger from Australia.On the other hand, South Korea pushes hard for class and quality and now builds better Japanese cars than Japan, in terms of value, quality and reliability. Kia is also creating a reputation for great design and Hyundai is aiming for the big breakthrough, a worthy luxury car, with the Genesis that lands here later in the year.Both are also driving great value for Australian car buyers. So it’s probably a good thing for customers - and their rivals - that the red and blue teams regard themselves as deadly rivals and not just one brand with two showrooms.Kia SportagePrice: from $25,490Rating: 3.5/5Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl 122kW/197Nm, 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo diesel, 135kW/392NmTransmission: 5-speed/6-speed man/auto; FWDThirst: from 7.2L/100kmThe lowdown: One of the first Kia models to benefit from Australian suspension tuning and a Carsguide favourite as a result. It’s been overtaken by the Mazda CX-5 and Subaru Forester but is still roomy, well equipped, excellent value (on the ownership front too) and a good drive.Hyundai i30 Price: from $20,990Rating: 4/5Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl, 107kW/175NmTransmission: 6-speed man/auto; FWDThirst: from 6.8L/100km The lowdown: Recent suspension improvements mean the i30 drives even better, although its age means it rates third in class behind the VW Golf and Mazda3. The i30 has become a new-age Corolla, the car you recommend to people who just want trouble-free, cost-effective motoring. It’s better than the Toyota and a winner with its five-year warranty and service package.Hyundai Santa FePrice: from $37,990Rating: 3.5/5Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cyl, 141kW/242Nm, 2.2-litre 4-cyl turbo diesel, 145kW/421NmTransmission: 6-speed man/auto; AWDThirst: from 6.5L/100kmTHE LOWDOWN: The Santa Fe is tough to toss on the value front, with the seven-seater capacity that’s essential for a lot of families. It’s now a generation newer under the skin than its Kia Sorento rival, which means it drives better and is also quieter. It’s a reversal of the Sportage-ix35 match-up, where Carsguide prefers the Kia. Customers are the real winners.SECOND-HANDThe bland but efficient Hyundai Getz has taken over from the Toyota Corolla as the Carsguide choice for first-car buyers. The boxy little baby ticks all the right boxes, from price to economy, and we rarely hear of mechanical problems. They were sold in huge numbers and that means good value as a used car. Hyundai first made its name on the second-hand scene with the jelly bean-shaped Excel, although it was never a great car, and the Getz is building from that base. There’s a big advantage for used buyers - the five-year warranty and affordable servicing mean Getz new-car buyers have been more likely to give their cars the care and attention that pays off for subsequent owners.This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover 

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The rise and rise of the SUV doesn't add up when yousee what's available in the medium car segment. Flashback 2007: the first iPhone goes on sale, the TGV clocks 575km/h, Vladimir Putin is TIME's Person of The Year and medium car sales almost nudge 100,000 as the Australian new car market cracks a million sales.Since then the iPhone has skyrocketed in popularity, the high-speed train swooshes on (at a more sedate 300km/h)- and the medium segment has headed south, retailing just over 77,000 last year despite a growing number of models.European, Korean and Japanese rivals in the medium segment can only dream of the sales tallies racked up by Toyota's all-conquering Camry, abetted by heavy fleet sales. The numbers suggest the segment is full of underdone machinery but the reality is far from that.The forgotten middle child of the passenger car market has spacious and viable family car choices - not just the Camry - for those looking for value and not keen on an SUV. The segment is littered with family-sized choices.KEY PLAYERS The Camry, Mazda6, Ford's Mondeo, Holden's Malibu, Hyundai i40 and its Kia Optima second-cousin, as well as the VW-derived Skoda Octavia are worthwhile contenders and all are at least as big as Holden's first (VB) Commodore. Locally built (for now), the Camry is sedan-only but its 515L boot can take plenty of paraphernalia.Cheap capped-price servicing (although for not as long as some of the opposition, also the case for its warranty) and hybrid variants (that are far too good to be taxis) go in the Camry's favour, as do the four-cylinder petrol engine and conventional six-speed auto.The runner-up in sales is the Mazda6, more aesthetically appealing than the Camry and with sedan and wagon variants. We lament the demise of the pretty hatchback. There's no hybrid but the Mazda has the quickest and smoothest stop-start fuel-saver and energy recovery setup.It also has one of the best turbo diesels this side of a BMW six-cylinder oil-burner. Quiet, smooth and frugal, it has plenty of the shove from 420Nm of torque and, from behind the wheel, enjoyable dynamics.Bootspace is not as big as the Toyota but the Mazda does offer a wagon alternative that isn't offensive to the eye either.More recently arrived, the Octavia from VW-owned Czech brand Skoda has petrol and diesel engines that are hard to resist.Steep capped servicing costs offset the sharp purchase prices. Built on the same modular platform as the new (and impressive) VW Golf, the Octavia delivers a good drive, ample occupant room and a good-sized boot, whether as a wagon or hatch (which masquerades as a sedan until you pop the tailgate).Holden's Korean-built Malibu has been in the shadows of locally built siblings. The almost-large sedan has petrol or diesel options. The latter has the torque you'll need to get anywhere in short order but the petrol engine doesn't suffer the diesel's lag.Space for four average adults and a good boot are among the Malibu's highlights but the styling isn't to all tastes.NEXT ECHELON Also hailing from South Korea is the Hyundai i40, in sedan or wagon form, with petrol and diesel power. There's no manual. Its styling has some appeal.The i40 has one of the longer warranties around and the maker recently brought in lifetime capped price servicing, which puts it well ahead of the pack on maintenance.Kia's Optima sedan is petrol-only but the aesthetic appeal is broader than many in this segment.Cabin and cargo space are up to the task and the drivetrain backs up the sportier styling - it's had plenty of local input in terms of steering and suspension, to good effect.The Ford Mondeo rounds out the favourites list, with a replacement due next year. The current example is spacious, whether in hatch form or wagon - the former (like the Skoda) looking more like a sedan but has a flexible interior and the latter has a cavernous tail.The petrol engines include a worthy EcoBoost turbo and there is a turbodiesel. It can't match the warranties of the Hyundai or Kia but capped-price servicing is among the better-value propositions.SALES IN THE SUNSET The decline in medium sales can be sheeted home to the increasing popularity of SUVs as well as "bracket creep", in which small cars grow in size to give customers more cabin and cargo space but outgrow the segment.Glass's Information Services marketing and sales manager Nick Adamidis believes that trend - or the need for more space pushing people into SUVs - has put the brakes on medium sales volumes."It was never a dominant segment but it was growing at one point. Looking back over the numbers it's dropped right off - quite a bit of that was Honda, Mazda6 was down slightly as well, that whole segment is being squeezed a bit," he says."There are very good cars in that segment ... but small cars have grown in size over the last few years. Mazda3 and Golf are larger inside. (If buyers) want more than a small car, they are going to an SUV." Further causes are the increases in the range of small cars and the relative lack of new models in the medium segment, he says.THE REST There's a solid choice of 18 sedans, hatches and more than a few wagons. Citroen has the C5 sedan and wagon and pseudo-sporty DS5 hatch with underdone diesel.Honda Accord and Euro, once yardsticks for the segment, are still good but somewhat outgunned.Nissan Altima, Thai-built, better than expected but bland styling didn't help. Opel Insignia - there are still plenty in Holden dealers' stocks if you're looking for something different.Renault Latitude is Korean-built, is highly competent and comfortable but is in the upper price bracket and doesn't stack up against segment leaders.Subaru Liberty has lost its way in styling and the use of CVTs instead of a conventional auto. Clever safety gear and solid mechanical package.Suzuki Kizashi, once a Carsguide COTY finalist, is a competent chassis crying out for a drivetrain with grunt.VW Jetta and Passat have peppy engines and plenty of space in the conservative cabins and pricing is (for the Jetta anyway) in the ballpark. THE SALES LEADER - TOYOTA CAMRY PRICE From $30,490 WARRANTY 3 years/100,000km CAPPED SERVICING 5 services , $130 ea, 4 years/75,000km SERVICE INTERVAL 9 months/15,000km RESALE 37 per cent ENGINE 2.5-litre 4-cyl, 133kW/231Nm TRANS 6-spd auto; FWD THIRST 7.8L/100km DIMENSIONS 4.8m (L), 1.8m (W), 1.5m (H) WEIGHT 1465kg-1505kg SPARE Full-size  THE CUT-PRICE KING - SKODA OCTAVIA PRICE From $21,690 WARRANTY 3 years/unlimited km CAPPED SERVICING 6 years/90,000km $286-$518 SERVICE INTERVAL 12 months/15,000km RESALE 45 per cent ENGINE 1.4-litre 4-cyl turbo, 103kW/250Nm; 1.8-litre 4-cyl turbo, 132kW/250Nm; 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo diesel, 110kW/320Nm TRANS 6-speed man, 6 or 7-speed DSG; FWD THIRST 4.9L-6.1L/100km DIMENSIONS 4.7m (L), 1.8m (W), 1.5m (H) WEIGHT 1302kg-1435kg SPARE Full-size  THE "LOCAL" - HOLDEN MALIBU PRICE From $28,890 WARRANTY 3 years/100,000km CAPPED SERVICING 3 years/60,000km, petrol $185, diesel $335 SERVICE INTERVAL 9 months/15, 000km RESALE 37 per cent ENGINE 2.4-litre 4-cyl, 123kW/225Nm; 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo diesel, 117kW/350Nm TRANS 6-spd auto; FWD THIRST 6.4L-8.0L/100km DIMENSIONS 4.9m (L), 1.9m (W), 1.5m (H) WEIGHT 1583kg-1684kg SPARE None; puncture repair kit THE UNDERSTUDY MAZDA6 PRICE From $33,460 WARRANTY 3 years/unlimited km CAPPED SERVICING 10 years/160,000km $296-$383 SERVICE INTERVAL 12 months/10,000km RESALE 46 per cent ENGINE 2.5-litre 4-cyl, 138kW/250Nm; 2.2-litre 4cyl turbo diesel, 129kW/420Nm TRANS 6-speed auto; FWD THIRST 5.4L-6.6L/100km DIMENSIONS 4.9m (L), 1.8m (W), 1.5m (H) WEIGHT 1462kg-1593kg SPARE Spacesaver HYUNDAI i40 PRICE From $31,990 WARRANTY 5 years/unlimited km CAPPED SERVICING Lifetime capped servicing, $310-$500 SERVICE INTERVAL 12 months/10,000km RESALE 43 per cent ENGINE 130kW/213Nm 2-litre 4-cyl petrol, 100kW/320Nm;1.7-litre 4-cyl turbo diesel TRANS 6-speed auto; FWD THIRST 5.6-7.7L/100kmDIMENSIONS 4.7m (L), 1.8m (W), 1.5m (H) WEIGHT 1441kg-1659kg SPARE Full-size  KIA OPTIMA PRICE From $30,990 WARRANTY 5 years/unlimited km CAPPED SERVICING 5 years/75,000km capped servicing, $294-$485, SERVICE INTERVAL 12 months/15,000km RESALE 43 per cent ENGINE 2.4-litre 4-cyl, 148kW/250Nm TRANS 6-speed auto; FWD THIRST 7.9L/100kmDIMENSIONS 4.8m (L), 1.8m (W), 1.5m (H) WEIGHT 1591kg SPARE Full-size  FORD MONDEO PRICE From $31,490 WARRANTY 3 years/100,000km CAPPED SERVICING 7 years/135,000km $290 SERVICE INTERVAL 12 months/15,000km RESALE 35 per cent ENGINE 2.3-litre 4-cyl, 118kW/208Nm; 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo, 149kW/300Nm; 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo diesel, 120kW/340NmTRANS 6-speed auto; FWDTHIRST 5.9L-9.5L/100kmDIMENSIONS 4.8m (L), 1.9m (W), 1.5m (H) WEIGHT 1505kg-1649kg SPARE Spacesaver

The badge on the nose may be unique but your car's chassis can be quite common.

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