HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS JOIN US FOR SPORTINESS IN THE COMPACT KIA FORTE... PAT GOSS HAS A SOLUTION TO MAKE SOME SCENIC SPOTS ARE KEEPING AND MERCEDES-BENZ ALSO PLUGS IN, TO THEIR LUXURIOUS RIDES...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

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STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT John: WHILE, THE KIA BRAND INTO JUST ABOUT EVERY VEHICLE THE COMPACT CAR SEGMENT, THE HONDA CIVIC A TOUGHER NUT TO CRACK.

NOW, THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT JUST MEANS KIA KEEP MAKING * ADMITTEDLY, BOTH THE CIVIC AND FOR A LOT LONGER THAN THE FORTE, OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, A QUICK STUDY AND NEVER THIS NEW 2017 FORTE S SLOTTING IN BETWEEN THE NEW MIDDLE GROUND A HOST OF UPGRADES TO UP BOTH IN LOOKS AND PERFORMANCE.

STARTING INSIDE; WHERE A ROOMY, YOU'LL FIND KNOBS WHERE YOU AS WELL AS A GOOD SIZE THIS FORTE S ADDS LIGHT COLORED STITCHING; BUT SOMEWHAT INEXPENSIVE AND A BACK TO EARTH REMINDER YOU'RE DEALING WITH.

BUT, SPACE IN THE LONG, AT 14.9 CUBIC-FEET, BEFORE YOU AS FOR REAR SEAT PASSENGERS, AND ALL-AROUND COMFORT A TYPICAL COMPACT SEDAN.

AND THAT'S DESPITE A SLEEK EXTERIOR PROFILE; WHERE ADDS A DISTINCTIVE FLAIR.

SEEING A FORTE COMING AT YOU, CERTAINLY MORE INTERESTING HYUNDAI ELANTRA.

AND THERE ARE EVEN POWER-FOLDING THE TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE; ITEMS SPECIAL TO THE S ARE LED POSITIONING LIGHTS, AND CHROME EXHAUST TIP.

[ENGINE STARTS UP] THE PREVIOUS BASE 1.8 LITER ALL FORTES ARE NOW POWERED BY A 2.0 LITER NATURALLY-ASPIRATED RATINGS ARE 147 HORSEPOWER IT FEELS PEPPIER THAN AND THE STANDARD 6-SPEED IS ON POINT.

[TIRES SCREECHING] STILL, IT'S NOT A HOT ROD, 0-60 TIME, FOR A COMMUTER CAR, AND AN EAGER LAUNCH OFF AND THAT'S HALF A SECOND QUICKER WHEN THIS GENERATION OF THE QUARTER MILE TIME WAS ALSO, 16.3 SECONDS AT 88 MILES PER AS FOR HANDLING, THERE IS A SPORTY EDGE THAT EVEN IF IT'S NOT A RAZOR SHARP STILL, WITH ITS UNIQUE TUNING, NICE GRIP AND A FUN FEEL OUR 119 FOOT AVERAGE FROM 60-0 BUT A HARD, SHORT TRAVEL PEDAL MADE THEM FEEL LESS THAN AWAY FROM THE TRACK, A COMFORTABLE RIDE, COMPARABLE FOR ITS CLASS.

THERE ARE NORMAL, ECO, TO CHOOSE FROM; REALLY TIGHTENS UP IN SPORT.

AS FOR SAFETY SYSTEMS, BUT THE TECH PACKAGE ADDS FEATURES INCLUDING FULL WE PUT IT TO THE TEST CONSISTENT STOPS UP TO 15 MILES BUT AT SPEEDS ABOVE THAT, ALWAYS ACHIEVED.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS AND 32-COMBINED.

SO, OUR 34.1 MILES PER GALLON AVERAGE ON REGULAR WAS THE FORTE S STARTS AT $20,195; RIGHT BETWEEN THE $17,495 AND WHILE, OUR SPORTY "S" IS A 5-DOOR HATCHBACK, STILL AVAILABLE.

WE'VE SAID IT BEFORE, COMPACT CARS LIKE THIS ARE PART OF THE REASON WHY MIDSIZE SEDAN SALES ARE IT OFFERS MOST OF THE UTILITY OF THE AGILE DRIVING ASPECTS OF THROW IN STYLING OF AND LOTS OF UNEXPECTED FEATURES, AND YOU'VE GOT ONE SOLID LITTLE KIA MORE COMPETITIVE THAN EVER * JUICING UP AT HOME ELECTRIC VEHICLE OWNERS, FOR DESTINATION CHARGING, AND EVEN ON VACATION, MAKING IT EASIER THAN EVER TO VEHICLE OF CHOICE.

THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC ACCESS HAS JUMPED FROM LESS THAN WHEN FEDERAL RECOVERY ACT EV INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, 42,000 CHARGE POINTS THE VAST MAJORITY ARE LEVEL 2, THESE USE A STANDARDIZED COMPATIBLE WITH ALL MASS-MARKET AND TYPICALLY CHARGE AT ADDING ABOUT 26 MILES OF RANGE MANY PUBLIC CHARGERS ARE WITH A MUNICIPALITY OR BUSINESS TO ATTRACT VISITORS FOR THOSE THAT REQUIRE A FEE, BY THE KILOWATT-HOUR, OR SOMETIMES AN ALL YOU CAN USE CAR COMPANIES ARE ALSO, BMW AND THE NATIONAL PARK IN HONOR OF THEIR RESPECTIVE TO INSTALL UP TO 100 DONATED BY BMW, IN OR NEAR OUR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY IS AND WILL MAKE THESE CHARGERS IN THEIR ONLINE NATIONAL STATION THE FIRST OF THESE CHARGERS FITTINGLY ENOUGH, AT THE THOMAS EDISON NATIONAL Tom Ross: WE'RE STANDING HERE HE HAD VERY EARLY ELECTRIC CIRCA 1904.

HE OWNED A NUMBER OF ELECTRIC HIS INTEREST IN THE ELECTRIC IS WELL NOTED, AND 2.5 MILLION DOLLARS WORKING TO IMPROVE THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE.

John: THE ABILITY TO CHARGE THE PRACTICAL COMMUTING RANGE MANY PUBLIC PARKING GARAGES WHILE, MORE AND MORE MULTIPLE CHARGERS IN THEIR LOTS, AMONG THEIR EMPLOYEES.

VACATION OR INTER-CITY TRAVEL THE PREDICTABLE ROUTES OF AND PRESENTS A WHOLE NEW SET OF IN THIS CASE, LEVEL 3, IS THE MOST DESIRABLE OPTION.

TOO EXPENSIVE FOR MOST HOME A TYPICAL LEVEL 3 CHARGER OF POWER AND CAN PROVIDE AN NOT ALL PLUG-IN VEHICLES CAN AND THERE IS ALSO, BETWEEN CHADEMO AND SAE COMBO THE TWO TYPES OF FAST-CHARGE FOR NOW, THEY COEXIST AS A KIND WILL LIKELY CONTINUE FOR A THIRD TYPE OF CHARGE PLUG PROPRIETARY 120 KILOWATT THERE ARE NOW ABOUT 2600 BUT TESLA PLANS TO DOUBLE THAT CONVENTIONAL FAST-CHARGE FOR EXPANSION, WITH NUMEROUS FOR INSTANCE, NISSAN AND EVGO CALIFORNIA ON "DRIVE THE ARC," DEMONSTRATION THAT IS ON POPULAR ROUTES BETWEEN AND THEY HAVE ANNOUNCED ON THE EAST COAST, LINKING IT'S ALSO WORTH NOTING, A LEVEL 1, 120 VOLT CHARGER, AND HOTELS WILL HAPPILY ALLOW SO, VIRTUALLY EVERYWHERE CHARGING POWER IS LIKELY NEARBY.

WHILE, THE U.S. FAST-CHARGING IN ITS ADOLESCENCE, IT IS AND GIVING THOSE THAT WANT TO GOOD REASON TO GET CHARGED UP IF YOU'RE GONNA WORK ON THE RIGHT KNOW HOW PAT THREADS THE NEEDLE ON BOTH Pat Goss: THIS TIME WE HAVE FIRST WE HAVE BOLT LOCK.

NOW, BOLT LOCK MAKES A NUMBER AND WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT THEY CAN BE KEYED TO MATCH IN OTHER WORDS, LOCK MECHANISM RIGHT HERE YOUR TRAILER HITCH... WHAT YOU DO IS YOU TAKE AND OF COURSE, YOUR PARTICULAR MAKE, AND MODEL, AND YOU PUT IT IN THERE, AND THAT KEYS IT TO YOUR KEY.

SO, FROM THERE ON ALL YOU HAVE TO UNLOCK THE TRAILER SO, IT SIMPLIFIES LIFE SO SOMETHING YOU MIGHT WANT AND THEY HAVE AN ASSORTMENT OF ALRIGHT, NOW OVER HERE WE HAVE NOW, THREAD WIZARD THAT'S SEE, INSIDE THIS WE HAVE STIFF WIRE BRISTLES ON IT.

AND WHAT YOU DO WITH THIS, YOU TOOK OUT OF THE EXHAUST BUT THAT YOU HAVE TO REUSE, TO THE THREAD WIZARD, WE SCREWED THIS ONE DOWN WE CAN SEE THAT THE THREADS AS FAR AS WE SCREWED IT IN.

NOW, THEY COME IN DIFFERENT SO SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY, THE TOOL BOX.

FINALLY, YOU KNOW EVERYBODY NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW WHEN A REPLACEMENT BOLT, YOU SEE, THE HEAD OF THE BOLT IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S NOT A 10 MM BOLT.

SO, WHAT EVERY TOOL BOX SHOULD NOW, THE BOLT GAUGE WILL TELL YOU PUT THE BOLT INTO ONE OF IF IT FITS THROUGH THIS ONE, THEN IT'S THE FIRST ONE.

SO, GO NO GO TELLS YOU THE SIZE AND THEN WHEN YOU GO TO ORDER SO REALLY HANDY TO HAVE.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION DROP ME A LINE RIGHT HERE AT John: YOU KNOW JOY RIDING BUT NOT THE WAY WE DO IT.

SO LET'S GO FOR A QUICKSPIN.

FOR A QUICK SPIN FROM THE RIGHT DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE THIS BASED ON THE GIULIA SPORT SEDAN, STELVIO COMPACT CROSSOVER A 280 HORSEPOWER 2.0 LITER THAT'S CLASS BEST OUTPUT, TRANSMISSION AND ALL-WHEEL THE STYLISH INTERIOR IS LIKEWISE WITH BOTH SPORT AND LUSSO BOTH CHOICES INCLUDE LEATHER FEATURES.

NAMED AFTER THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN WHICH PACKS 48 HAIRPIN CURVES UP THE ALPS, QUITE A FEW CURVES OF ITS OWN, FACE OF AN ALFA.

ON OUR FIRST DRIVE IN NASHVILLE, WHERE WE QUICKLY GOT OUT OF Brian Robinson: SO, AND THE GOOD NEWS FOR ALL OF AND HANDLES EXACTLY LIKE BASED ON THE GIULIA WOULD; PRETTY FANTASTICALLY.

OH, AND THE 2.0 LITER TURBO-4 OF TORQUE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO John: AND EVEN IN ITS SPORTIEST STELVIO RIDE QUALITY REMAINS ORDER YOURS NOW, AFTER TWO DECADES THE WAIT FOR 2017, A NEW HONDA CIVIC THE 2.0 LITER 4-CYLINDER TURBO AND 295 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

COMBINE THAT WITH A DUAL AXIS A HELICAL LIMITED-SLIP THE MOST FUN FRONT-WHEEL A 6-SPEED MANUAL IS AND THAT'S JUST FINE WITH US.

Zach Maskell: WHEN YOU'RE THE PERFECT GEAR YOU DIVE JUST DOES ALL THE WORK.

IT'S LIKE ITS ON RAILS.

NOW, WHEN YOU GIVE IT GAS BUT IT DOESN'T EVER UNDERSTEER John: INSIDE, THERE'S NO FROM THE RED BADGE ON WITH HOLES FOR HARNESSES.

ON SALE NOW, STARTS JUST UNDER $34,000.

WE CONSIDER THE MERCEDES-BENZ LUXURY 4-DOORS MONEY CAN BUY.

BUT, THE CHASSIS TAKES ON AN FOR 2018 AS THE NEW E400 COUPE.

WITH A HERITAGE GOING TO THE 1968 "STROKE EIGHT" THIS NEW MID-SIZE 2-DOOR RESIDES 5-GENERATION E-CLASS ONE WE HAVE ENDLESSLY RAVED LIKEWISE, THAT NOW MEANS, AND WIDER WITH A HEFTIER FEEL.

THE E400'S 3.0 LITER BI-TURBO OF COURSE, BUT WE CHOSE A 4MATIC FOR OUR FIRST CRUISE THROUGH Greg Carloss: IT'S NOT EXACTLY A BRUTE FORCE BUT IF YOU NEED TO PASS THERE IS AND IT GOES THROUGH A 9-SPEED WHICH I FIND REACTS REALLY WELL John: INSIDE, THE COUPE AND EXQUISITE MATERIALS OF ONE NOTABLE DIFFERENCE: AIR VENTS INSPIRED BY THE 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ E400 IS AT ABOUT $59,000.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE ATTENTION AWAY FROM THEIR LONG AND BEGINNING TO EMBRACE FOR THEIR FUTURE POWERTRAIN AND THAT INCLUDES MERCEDES-BENZ THE C-CLASS AND S-CLASS SEDANS.

SO LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AND SEE WHAT MORE AND MORE PLUGGING INTO.

* MERCEDES-BENZ, ALWAYS LOOKING NOW HAS A PAIR OF LUXURIOUS PARADE THAT CAN DO THOSE EXTRA THE UPDATED 2017 S550E FOR AND THE 2017 C350E FOR THOSE THIS IS NOT EXACTLY VIRGIN HAVING APPLIED THEIR FIRST BACK IN 2012, AND OF COURSE, SLS AMG, AND NEWEST B-CLASS.

HOWEVER, THESE SEDANS DO SIGNAL GOING FORWARD.

THE S550E IS THEIR FIRST PHEV, AND IT'S BEEN AVAILABLE LIKE MOST PLUG-INS, IT OFFERS E-MODE RUNS ON THE BATTERY ALONE AT UP TO 75 MILES PER HOUR.

THINK OF THIS AS A CITY E-SAVE ALLOWS YOU TO RUN SAVING YOUR BATTERY RANGE AND CHARGE MODE WILL DIVERT THE BATTERY BACK UP TO FULL, OF EV RANGE.

THANKFULLY, THE GAUGES MAKE IT YOU'RE IN.

ALL TO MAKE ONE OF THE MOST WE'VE EVER DRIVEN.

POWERTRAIN IS A COMBINATION OF AND AN 85KW ELECTRIC MOTOR WITH THAT CAN BE CHARGED IN COMBINED OUTPUT IS AND 479 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

EVERYTHING WORKS THROUGH A REAL IN REAR-DRIVE ONLY ACCELERATION IS MORE THAN WITH A 5.2 SECOND 0-60, BUT WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED YOU REALLY DO HAVE TO KEEP TO TELL YOU WHERE POWER IS BENZ KEEPS IT CLASSY OUTSIDE, TO THE HANDSOME S-CLASS FORM; BLUE ACCENTS ON THE LED AND BLUE BRAKE CALIPERS, THE CHARGING PORT IS ON OBVIOUSLY, DONE TO AVOID CUTTING IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE CONVENIENT, TO DAMAGE.

NO CONCESSIONS MADE INSIDE IT'S STILL ONE OF THE GREATEST TO SPEND DRIVE TIME.

NEWEST ON THE SCENE IS FIRST 4-CYLINDER-BASED HYBRID STARTING WITH THEIR 2.0 LITER BENZ ADDS A 60KW ELECTRIC MOTOR CHARGE TIME IS ALSO, TOTAL OUTPUT IS 275 HORSEPOWER EV RANGE IS A CLAIMED 20 MILES, 17 MILES WAS MORE TYPICAL.

WITH THAT MUCH TORQUE ON TAP, AND IT DOES.

WE HIT 60 IN 6.2 SECONDS; THAN THE LAST C300 SEDAN LIKE THE S-CLASS, WHICH WORKS EFFICIENTLY; BETWEEN SHIFTS VERY BRIEF.

IT FINISHED THE QUARTER MILE AT 97 MILES PER HOUR.

ALSO, IN SIMILAR FASHION THERE'S NOTHING ANYWHERE AS THE C-CLASS HAS BECOME YOU'LL CERTAINLY WANT FOR LITTLE THE S550E HAS A COMBINED RATING OF 58.

WE AVERAGED 29.4 MILES PER FOR THE C-CLASS, THE COMBINED AND OUR AVERAGE CAME IN AT OF PREMIUM.

AS WITH ALL PHEVs, THE MORE TIME THE BETTER YOU'LL DO.

A C350E WILL COST YOU AT LEAST THAT'S A HEALTHY 6-GRAND PREMIUM THE NEWS IS A LITTLE BETTER OVER WITH THE 550E COMING IN A BASE V8 550 AT $97,525.

IT'S DEFINITELY AN INTERESTING AS WE MOVE FROM PUMPING FOSSIL AND YOU KNOW IT'S SERIOUS WHEN MAKES THE PHEV SHIFT.

BOTH OF THESE CARS ARE ADDING TO A GROWING CROWD OF OPTIONS THAT BURN LESS WHATEVER THE FUTURE HOLDS, AFTER ALL, THE GOOD LIFE IS WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; PODCASTS, CRUISE ON OVER TO AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US WHEN PORSCHE GETS HYBRID HELP AND WE'LL SLIP BEHIND THE WHEEL UNTIL NEXT TIME, I'M JOHN DAVIS, WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

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