Many of the vehicles that manufacturers designed with global sales potential in mind, are catching on with domestic buyers, too. Purchasers of these global design vehicles get many of the same styling cues and safety features as their “full grown” counterparts. They have surprising passenger and cargo space inside, with just enough sport to satisfy, at the right price. And to suit targeted purchasers (the young and the urbanite), a plethora of technology features are a given.
technology and craftsmanship while
adding fun-to-drive DNA to the “hot hatch” segment.
Ford Focus is the world’s best-selling global nameplate. Joe Hinrichs, Ford executive vice president and president of The Americas explained, “Its combination of compelling, modern design and the high-tech interior will appeal to contemporary customers who desire a small car with very sophisticated features.”
If a luxury sedan and top notch pickup truck had offspring, today’s subcompact SUVs and CUVs would be the result. A couple of the all-new vehicles that have just entered the competition in this hot segment include:
The 2016 Hyundai Tucson. Hyundai’s Tucson offers several firsts in its segment, including ventilated front seats and Essentials® stain-resistant seats. Newly available features include LED headlights and accents, LED Daytime Running Lights, HID headlights with Dynamic Bending Light (DBL) that turn-in with the direction of the steering wheel, LED map lights, color LCD cluster display, individual tire monitoring, power passenger seat, heated rear seats, and a Smart Power Liftgate with auto-open. An advanced AWD system is also offered. Safety features include Lane Departure Warning system, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross-traffic Alert, Lane Change Assist and Backup Warning Sensors. Increased use of high strength steel provides noticeably more frame rigidity for a more solid
and luxe road feel. Combined fuel efficiency on
our SE Eco model was 29 mpg.
delivers much in a tidy package
that ranges from $22,700 to just north of $31K.
The 2016 Honda HR-V. This compact crossover also delivers incredible value with a long list of standard features and technologies including 17-inch alloy wheels, push-button electric parking brake and rearview camera with guidelines (one of the better cameras we’ve seen on any vehicle). Pandora® radio and Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® are also standard– all this for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) starting at just $19,115. Extras on our 5DR AWD EX-L Navi model upped the price to $25,840.
The HR-V also targets class-leading safety ratings and features Honda’s next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure for enhanced frontal collision protection.
configurable rear seat which gives it a
distinctive ability to fit bulky or long cargo items inside.
