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

JOIN US AS WE REV UP TO SPEED WITH THE HYUNDAI VELOSTER TURBO.

PAT GOSS SHEDS SOME LIGHT ON UPGRADING TO LEDs.

YOLANDA VAZQUEZ DOES A LITTLE CREATIVE URBAN EXPLORING FOR THIS WEEK'S FYI.

AND WE'LL SEE IF THEIR NEW FLAGSHIP AVALON DOES TOYOTA PROUD.

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY...

THIS IS BEAUTIFUL.

JESSICA, I HAVE SOMETHING I WANT TO ASK YOU...

YES?

WHEN I'M SWITCHING TO WINTER TIRES DO I HAVE TO CHANGE ALL FOUR OR CAN I JUST PUT TWO ON THE FRONT AXLE?

I DON'T KNOW.

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AND BY... 3M, MAKER OF INNOVATIVE AUTO CARE PRODUCTS.

AGED OR YELLOWED LENSES REDUCE BRIGHTNESS OF HEAD, TAIL AND DIRECTIONAL LIGHTS.

THE 3M HEADLIGHT RESTORATION SYSTEM HELPS RESTORE LENS CLARITY FOR SAFER DRIVING.

John Davis: WHEN HYUNDAI INTRODUCED THE EXCITINGLY STYLED VELOSTER LAST YEAR, ITS UNIQUE FOUR-DOOR COUPE DESIGN MADE OTHER COMPACT HATCHBACKS LOOK SUDDENLY BORING.

BUT SADLY, THE VELOSTER'S PERFORMANCE DIDN'T BACK UP ITS SPORTY APPEARANCE.

WELL, HYUNDAI QUICKLY MADE IT THEIR MISSION TO FIND A PROPER SOLUTION; ENTER THE VELOSTER TURBO.

SO LET'S SEE IF ADDING A TURBO CAN BOOST OUR REACTIONS TO HYUNDAI'S HOT LOOKING, LITTLE HATCH!

THE 2013 HYUNDAI VELOSTER TURBO DOES INDEED GET SOME MUCH NEEDED EXTRA POWER PUMPED INTO ITS GREAT LOOKING SHEET METAL.

COURTESY OF A TWIN-SCROLL TURBOCHARGER MOUNTED ON ITS 1.6-LITER, DIRECT INJECTION GAMMA-4.

HORSEPOWER GETS A NICE BOOST FROM 138 TO 201, AND TORQUE GETS AN EQUALLY IMPRESSIVE INCREASE FROM 132 TO 195 POUND-FEET.

COMPRESSION RATIO DROPS FROM 11.0:1 TO A MORE FORCED INDUCTION-FRIENDLY 9.5:1.

SOUNDS LIKE IT CERTAINLY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CURE WHAT AILED IT, SO WE WASTED LITTLE TIME HITTING THE TRACK TO FIND OUT.

OFF THE LINE, THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF WHEEL HOP AS THE FRONT TIRES STRUGGLE FOR TRACTION, BUT EVENTUALLY ENOUGH IS ATTAINED TO GET TO 60 IN 7.8 SECONDS, ALMOST A SECOND QUICKER THAN THE NORMALLY ASPIRATED VELOSTER.

THE QUARTER MILE IS EQUALLY QUICKER AT 16 SECONDS AT 87 MILES-PER-HOUR.

AS BEFORE, BOTH 6-SPEED MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC ARE AVAILABLE; WE CHOSE THE MANUAL AND WE'RE STILL NOT HUGE FANS OF THE SHIFTER, AS YOU NEED TO BE VERY PRECISE WITH IT, BUT GEARS ARE WELL SPACED AND WE LOVE THE MORE AGGRESSIVE EXHAUST NOTE THAT COMES WITH THE TURBO.

IT'S STILL NOT SUPER FAST, BUT WITHOUT A DOUBT, A BIG IMPROVEMENT OVER THE BASE VELOSTER, AND JUST ENOUGH TO MAKE IT FINALLY LIVE UP TO ITS LOOKS.

AND SPEAKING OF LOOKS, IT'S HARD NOT TO LOVE THE FUNKY STYLING OF THE VELOSTER.

IT TRULY APPEARS "SPECIAL" HAULING DOWN THE ROAD.

AND THE TURBO GETS SOME VERY WELL DONE VISUAL UPGRADES THAT SET IT APART.

BUT NOT SO MUCH SO THAT IT LOOKS SUPER BOY RACERISH.

UP FRONT, THERE'S A LARGER HEXAGONAL GRILLE, AND DOWN THE SIDES, ROCKER SKIRTS ARE EXTENDED.

18-INCH WHEELS WITH CHROME INSERTS ARE STANDARD.

AND, OF COURSE, THE UNIQUE SINGLE RIGHT SIDE 3RD DOOR ARRANGEMENT REMAINS.

UNFORTUNATELY, SO DO THE ALL TOO OBVIOUSLY FAKE HOOD "VENTS".

IT LOOKS MOST AGGRESSIVE FROM THE REAR, HOWEVER, WITH THE SCOOPED OUT LOOK ACCENTUATED BY A BODY COLORED, HATCH-TOP SPOILER AND DUAL, ROUND CENTER EXHAUST TIPS.

WHEN IT COMES TO HANDLING, THE TURBO VELOSTER EQUATES ITSELF WELL ENOUGH.

WITH NO SUSPENSION CHANGES, YOU STILL CAN'T PUSH IT TOO HARD BEFORE IT STARTS TO PUSH HARD.

BUT A LITTLE FINESSE REWARDS YOU WITH FLAT CORNERING AND MORE THAN ENOUGH POWER TO EXIT WITH A SMILE.

BUT OUR BIGGEST COMPLAINT ON THE BASE VELOSTER WAS THE ABSOLUTE LACK OF STEERING FEEL.

SO THE TURBO ADDS A SLIGHTLY FASTER RATIO AND SPORTIER TUNING TO THE ELECTRIC ASSIST TO INCREASE FEEDBACK AND RESPONSE.

WE HAD NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT BRAKING PERFORMANCE BEFORE, NOR DO WE NOW, AS STOPS FROM 60 AVERAGED A VERY GOOD 120-FEET.

WE STILL LOVE THE MOTORCYCLE INSPIRED, WELL-EQUIPPED INTERIOR OF THE VELOSTER AND THE TURBO GETS A FEW UPDATES, LIKE LEATHER SEATS WITH TURBO EMBROIDERY, ALLOY PEDALS, AND UNIQUE GAUGES.

HEATED SEATS AND PUSH-BUTTON START ARE STANDARD.

THE ULTIMATE PACKAGE ADDS PANORAMIC SUNROOF, AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHTS, BACK-UP WARNING SENSORS, AND NAVIGATION WITH BACK-UP CAMERA.

EVEN IF YOU CRAWL THROUGH THE RIGHT SIDE 3RD DOOR, YOU WON'T FIND ANY MORE ROOM IN THE CRAMPED REAR SEATS.

BUT FOLD THEM AND THE 15.5 CUBIC FEET OF CARGO SPACE EXPANDS TO 34.7.

THOUGH YOU'LL HAVE TO LIFT BAGS PRETTY HIGH TO GET THEM THROUGH THE HATCH.

IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD, THE GOVERNMENT HAS SOME ISSUES WITH HYUNDAI'S FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS.

THEY'VE SINCE BEEN REVISED DOWNWARD ON MANY MODELS, INCLUDING THE VELOSTER.

THE TURBO WITH MANUAL NOW RATES 24-CITY, 35-HIGHWAY, AND 28-COMBINED ON REGULAR GAS.

WE AVERAGED A FINE 32.9 MPG IN MIXED DRIVING.

MAKING FOR AN ENERGY IMPACT SCORE THAT'S STILL MUCH BETTER THAN AVERAGE AT 11.8 BARRELS OF ANNUAL OIL CONSUMPTION WITH 5.3 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

PRICING GETS A BOOST AS WELL, TO $22,725.

THAT'S $4,500 OVER A BASE VELOSTER, BUT IT COMES ALMOST FULLY LOADED, AND IS ONLY ABOUT A GRAND OVER THE VERY WELL-EQUIPPED VELOSTER WE TESTED LAST YEAR.

ADDING BOOST TO THE 2013 VELOSTER MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO BLOW THE TURBO TO THE SHARP END OF THE SPORTY HATCHBACK SEGMENT, BUT HYUNDAI CERTAINLY MADE A FUN LITTLE CAR EVEN MORE SO, GIVING IT THE ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE IT NEEDED TO BACK UP ITS SPORTY MISSION.

SO WE MEAN IT WHEN WE SAY, "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED."

OUR SUCCESS STORY THIS WEEK COMES FROM KENTUCKY'S MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK.

IN 1999, THE PARK COMMITTED TO USE E85 ETHANOL IN A NUMBER OF THEIR FLEX-FUEL VEHICLES, AND INSTALLED THEIR OWN REFUELING STATION.

TODAY, MORE THAN A DECADE LATER, ALL OF THE PARK'S 41 VEHICLES RUN ON ALTERNATIVE FUELS, INCLUDING BIODIESEL, PROPANE, AND ELECTRICITY.

THE PARK HAS CONVERTED SEVEN GASOLINE SCHOOL BUSES TO PROPANE.

THEY TRANSPORT 200,000 VISITORS A YEAR TO CAVE ENTRANCES.

RANGERS USE THESE GEM EVs TO PATROL CAMPGROUNDS AND ASSIST WITH PARKING.

SINCE THE MID-'90s, MELISSA HOWELL FROM THE KENTUCKY COALITION HAS WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE PARK TO DEVELOP THE ALTERNATIVE FUEL AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE.

AN EFFORT THAT MADE MAMMOTH CAVE THE FIRST NATIONAL PARK SERVICE UNIT TO DEPLOY A PROJECT UNDER THE CLEAN CITIES NATIONAL PARK INITIATIVE.

TOURING A BIG CITY CAN BE FUN, BUT WITH TRAFFIC ALWAYS A PROBLEM, IT CAN ALSO BE FRUSTRATING.

YOUR TOUR BUS MAY SPEND MORE TIME IDLING AT STOP LIGHTS AND WASTING FUEL THAN YOU DO SEEING THE SIGHTS.

SO WHAT'S A VISITOR TO DO?

WELL, THAT'S THE QUESTION WE PUT TO OUR FYI REPORTER YOLANDA VAZQUEZ, AND SHE'S COME BACK WITH SOME CREATIVE WAYS TO SEE AND ENJOY THE URBAN LANDSCAPE.

Yolanda: DOUBLE-DECKER TOUR BUSES.

THEY RULE THE ROAD IN NEW YORK CITY.

BUT THIS OPEN-TOP EXPERIENCE ISN'T THE ONLY WAY TO TRAVEL AROUND TOWN.

Driver: FIRST THING, HANDS UP.

Passengers: WHOO!

Yolanda: COMPANIES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE COME UP WITH CLEVER WAYS TO ATTRACT TOURISTS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT WHEN THEY SPLASH INTO THEIR FAVORITE CITY.

Stephen Chester: WE THINK ATL CRUZERS IS THE MOST UNIQUE AND FUN WAY TO EXPERIENCE ANY CITY BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY, ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

Yolanda: CO-OWNER STEPHEN CHESTER CREATED HIS ELECTRIC CAR TOUR IN 2010 TO GIVE VISITORS A PANORAMIC VIEW OF ATLANTA'S MUST-SEE SIGHTS... Stephen Chester: SO HISTORIC EBENEZER TO YOUR RIGHT.

Yolanda: ...WHILE RIDING IN AN OPEN-AIR, ECO-FRIENDLY VEHICLE.

CHESTER SAYS THE SIX-SEAT, BATTERY-ELECTRIC GEM IS IDEAL FOR HIS 15-MILE EXPERT-GUIDED TOUR.

Chester: INSIDE THIS VENUE, YOU WILL HAVE SEEN THE LIKES OF PEOPLE LIKE RAY CHARLES, JAMES BROWN, ARETHA FRANKLIN... Yolanda: THE LOW-SPEED DESIGNATION MEANS IT NEVER GOES ABOVE 25 MILES PER HOUR, AND THE E6 HAS A DRIVING RANGE OF UP TO 40 MILES ON A FULL CHARGE.

Chester: SO WE TYPICALLY DO A ONE HOUR, 1:15 MINUTE TOUR, COME BACK AND RECHARGE, AND WE'RE ABLE TO DO THREE OR FOUR TOURS A DAY WITH ONE VEHICLE GIVEN THE CYCLE TIME.

Yolanda: THE CLEAN, GREEN TRANSPORTATION HAS ZERO TAILPIPE EMISSIONS, AND WITH POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM CONSUMERS ON TRAVEL WEBSITES, CHESTER MIGHT EXPAND HIS "ELECTRIC" OPERATION IN THE FUTURE.

Chester: SO REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS ON ATLANTA.

AND AS OPPORTUNITIES PRESENT THEMSELVES, MAYBE IDENTIFY OTHER CITIES THAT THIS CONCEPT WOULD BE ABLE TO FLOURISH IN.

Yolanda: ANOTHER CITY WITH A FLOURISHING SIGHTSEEING TOUR BUSINESS IS WASHINGTON D.C. Chester: THIS IS OUR I2 SEGWAY.

OUR FLAGSHIP SEGWAY IN THE STORE.

IT'S A REALLY GREAT MACHINE, VERY EASY TO OPERATE.

Yolanda: FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, CAPITAL SEGWAY HAS OFFERED VISITORS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE A TWO-WHEELED TOUR OF THE CITY'S MOST FAMOUS LANDMARKS.

Steven Orr: THE WHITE HOUSE, CAPITOL BUILDING, SMITHSONIAN, NATIONAL ARCHIVES, FORD'S THEATER, FBI BUILDING, AND THERE'S ROUGHLY ABOUT 60 TO 70 PLACES ALONG THE WAY THAT YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WAS THERE.

Yolanda: GENERAL MANAGER STEVEN ORR SAYS THE SIX AND A HALF MILE TOUR IS ABOUT TWO HOURS LONG, WITH RIDERS COVERING THREE TIMES AS MUCH GROUND THAN IF THEY WERE WALKING.

Avis Devine: EVERY TIME YOU GO TO A BIG CITY, YOU SEE THESE THINGS GO BY.

Yolanda: FIRST-TIME USER AVIS DEVINE LOVED THE UNLIMITED ACCESS THROUGH BIKE PATHS, WALKWAYS, AND SIDE ROADS.

Devine: BY BEING SORT OF THIS IN-BETWEEN LEVEL VEHICLE, WE HAD ACCESS AVAILABLE TO US IN ALL THREE MANNERS, WHICH IF YOU DO ANY OF THE OTHER MORE COMMON TECHNIQUES, YOU WOULDN'T GET.

Yolanda: SINCE SAFETY IS A TOP PRIORITY, CAPITAL SEGWAY OFFERS A 10-MINUTE TRAINING SESSION AND VIDEO TO HELP RIDERS BECOME MORE FAMILIAR WITH THEIR I2 PERSONAL TRANSPORTER.

Chester: AS YOU SMOOTHLY SEND YOUR WEIGHT INTO YOUR HEELS, YOUR ARMS SHOULD BEGIN TO FULLY EXTEND ON THE SEGWAY.

Yolanda: AS I DISCOVERED, THE ADVANCED LEAN STEER TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART SEGWAY EASY TO MANEUVER AND FAIRLY SIMPLE TO NAVIGATE.

Sean Taylor: IT WAS REALLY EASY.

IT WAS NATURAL MOVEMENTS, YOU JUST LEAN IN THE DIRECTION YOU WANT TO GO AND IT SENDS YOU RIGHT THERE.

IT'S VERY EASY.

Yolanda: THE 115-POUND MACHINE WILL ONLY REACH A TOP SPEED OF 12.5 MILES PER HOUR, AND TYPICALLY GETS ABOUT 25 MILES ON A FULL CHARGE.

Chester: THE ESTATE ON YOUR RIGHT IS OUR OLDEST AND BIGGEST UIVERSITY.

Yolanda: SO THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT BOARDING A BIG TOUR BUS, LOOK FOR AN ECO-FRIENDLY OR OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH OPTION THAT WILL LET YOU EXPLORE THE WONDERS OF A CITY'S MOST TREASURED SIGHTS IN THE MOST MEMORABLE WAY.

John: LED LIGHTING IS ALL THE RAGE ON NEW CARS.

BUT YOUR CURRENT CAR CAN ALSO JOIN THE LED PARTY, AND OUR PAT GOSS SHOWS US THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT.

Pat Goss: ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SAFETY ASPECTS OF AN AUTOMOBILE IS TO BE ABLE TO BE SEEN BY OTHER DRIVERS.

AND THAT MEANS THAT ALL OF YOUR LIGHTS HAVE TO WORK PROPERLY.

ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT FLASH.

OR THE BRAKE LIGHTS.

AND YOU WANT THEM TO BE VERY BRIGHT AND VERY VISIBLE.

AND THAT'S WHERE A NEW TYPE OF LIGHT IS COMING INTO PLAY.

IT'S CALLED AN LED, IT'S A LIGHT EMITTING DIODE.

A LOT OF NEW CARS HAVE THEM AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT FROM THE FACTORY.

BUT NOT ALL OF THEM.

NOW, IF YOUR CAR DOES NOT HAVE LEDs, YOU CAN PROBABLY RETROFIT IT AND GET ALL OF THE ADVANTAGES.

THE ADVANTAGES, NUMBER ONE, MUCH LONGER LIFE.

FIVE TO TEN THOUSAND HOURS.

OR PROBABLY THE LIFE OF SEVERAL VEHICLES.

NOW, DISADVANTAGE, THEY COST A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY.

BUT BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO DO THEM ONCE, WELL, THAT PROBABLY OFFSETS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INCANDESCENT AND LEDs.

ANOTHER BIG THING WITH THE LEDs IS THAT THEY FLASH MORE QUICKLY.

THEY COME ON AND THEY'RE OFF VERY QUICKLY.

INSTANTLY, AS A MATTER OF FACT.

NOW, THAT CAN BE A CURSE OR A BLESSING, WE'LL SEE WHY IN A MINUTE.

BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY DON'T DRAW MUCH POWER, AND THEY DON'T GET REAL HOT.

SO, IF YOU WANT TO RETROFIT A BOAT TRAILER, IT MEANS THAT THEY AREN'T SO PRONE TO BEING SO HOT THAT WHEN YOU BACK INTO THE WATER, THAT THEY BUST THE BULB.

AND BELIEVE ME, THEY ARE AVAILABLE FOR JUST ABOUT EVERY APPLICATION THAT YOU COULD WANT, INCLUDING TRAILERS.

NOW, LET'S TAKE A LOOK HERE.

HERE WE HAVE TWO BULBS, VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL, THE BASE IS THE SAME.

THIS IS AN INCANDESCENT, THIS IS AN LED.

NOW, WHEN THIS LED LIGHTS UP, IT'S GOING TO BE AMBER, LIKE THE INCANDESCENT.

NOW, THAT BUSINESS ABOUT FLASHING VERY QUICKLY, WHICH IS A GOOD SAFETY FEATURE, WELL, IT MAY FLASH TOO QUICKLY, AND THAT MAY MEAN THAT IF YOU HAVE A CAR THAT HAS A LAMP MONITOR THAT TELLS YOU WHEN A BULB IS BURNED OUT, OR WHEN YOU PUT THE LEDs IN THEY FLASH TOO FAST, YOU MAY HAVE TO PUT A BALLAST RESISTOR IN THERE.

THESE GO ON THE GROUND SIDE OF THE BULB, THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF THEM: THE CERAMIC, LIKE I HAVE HERE, FOR OLDER CARS.

AND AN ALUMINUM ONE, A METAL ONE, FOR LATER CARS.

SO IT'S A SAFETY FEATURE THAT YOU CAN EASILY ADD TO JUST ABOUT ANY CAR.

SOMETHING I'D HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

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

TIME NOW TO FIRE UP A COUPLE OF NEW RIDES IN THIS WEEK'S CAR KEYS.

WHILE HYBRID DRIVE AND TURBOCHARGERS DON'T NORMALLY FIND THEIR WAY UNDER THE SAME HOOD, VOLKSWAGEN SAID "WHY NOT?"

AND GIVEN THE SUCCESS OF THEIR CLEAN TURBO-DIESEL TECHNOLOGY, WE HAD LOFTY EXPECTATIONS FOR THE TURBOCHARGED GASOLINE/ELECTRIC 2013 JETTA HYBRID AS WE CLIMBED OUR WAY THROUGH THE FOOTHILLS OF NEW MEXICO.

STYLING IS BARELY ALTERED FROM THE STANDARD JETTA, AND THAT'S NOT SUCH A BAD THING.

MUCH LIKE THE PASSAT, ITS CLEAN CUT APPROACH IS EASY ON THE EYES, IF NOT HEAD TURNING.

HYBRID SPECIFICS INCLUDE BADGING, A UNIQUE FRONT GRILLE, REAR SPOILER AND DIFFUSER, AND AERO ACCENTS ON SKIRTS AND UNDERBODY.

EXCELLENT INTERIOR COMFORT REMAINS, WHILE A HYBRID ORIENTED GAUGE REPLACES THE TACHOMETER.

UPGRADES ARE STANDARD FARE, INCLUDING AUDIO, NAVIGATION, AND PREMIUM MATERIALS THROUGHOUT THE CABIN.

TRUNK SPACE OF 11.3 CUBIC FEET RATES WELL, AS DOES REAR SEAT LEGROOM.

BUT THE MAJOR SELLING POINT, AND INDEED WHAT WE FOUND MOST IMPRESSIVE, IS THE OVERALL DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

WITH A 170 HORSEPOWER COMBINED OUTPUT TURBOCHARGED ENGINE, AND AN IMPRESSIVE 7 SPEED DSG WITH MANUAL SHIFT MODE, THE JETTA HYBRID IS DOWNRIGHT GERMAN-CAR FUN.

Ben Davis: IT'S EASY TO FORGET YOUR DRIVING A HYBRID FOR SURE.

THIS JETTA HAS THE SAME REAR SUSPENSION SETUP AS FOUND IN THE GLI.

JUST DROP THE DSG TRANS DOWN INTO SPORT MODE AND YOU'LL FORGET YOU'RE DRIVING A HYBRID IN NO TIME.

John: WHERE YOU WON'T FORGET IT'S A HYBRID IS AT THE PUMP.

THIS JETTA CLAIMS 45 MPG COMBINED, AND THROUGH AN AFTERNOON OF LIBERAL DRIVING, WE WEREN'T FAR OFF.

UTILIZING ITS 27 HP ELECTRIC MOTOR AND 1.1 KWH BATTERY PACK, FULL ELECTRIC MODE CAN BE MAINTAINED UP TO 37 MILES PER HOUR OVER A DISTANCE OF A FEW MILES.

BETWEEN REGENERATIVE BRAKING, SPLIT GAS/ELECTRIC MODES, AND TURBOCHARGED FULL GASOLINE MODES, THE SYSTEM PROVIDES A CONSERVATIVE YET SPIRITED RESPONSE.

UP AGAINST MAINSTAYS LIKE PRIUS AND CIVIC HYBRID, AND EVEN FORD'S NEWCOMER C-MAX HYBRID, WE THINK THE VW JETTA HYBRID WILL BE ABLE TO HOLD ITS OWN IN THE GAS THRIFTY MARKET AND THEN SOME.

THE 2013 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA HYBRID IS AVAILABLE NOW WITH PRICES BEGINNING AT ABOUT $25,000.

NOW OVER TO THE AUDI SIDE OF VOLKSWAGEN WHERE WE'RE NO STRANGERS TO THEIR PERFORMANCE S-LINE.

HAVING DRIVEN OUR FAIR SHARE IN RECENT MONTHS, AND WITH VIRTUALLY NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT ANY MODEL THUS FAR, OUR STAFF WAS CHOMPING AT THE BIT TO TRY THE 2013 AUDI S7.

COUPE-LIKE FOUR-DOOR STYLING KEEPS ALL THAT WE LOVED FROM LAST YEAR'S A7, AND ONLY FURTHER INDUCES THOSE STOP AND STARE TURNS FROM ONLOOKERS.

UNIQUE GRILLE AND FASCIA, SIDE MIRRORS, AND QUAD EXHAUST TIPS HINT AT THE S7'S BOOSTED POWER, AS DO OUR OPTIONAL 20s WITH SUMMER TIRES.

19s ARE STANDARD.

INTERIOR FEATURES INCLUDE S7 EMBROIDERY, SPORTY RED AND ALUMINUM TRIM, CARBON INLAYS, AND DIAMOND STITCHED UPHOLSTERY.

BUT CHANCES ARE, YOUR INTERESTS, LIKE OURS, LIE MORE UNDER THE HOOD.

AND THE 420 HORSEPOWER, 4.0 LITER TWIN TURBO V8 WILL GRAB IT AND NEVER LET IT GO.

OUR 0 TO 60 TIME OF 4.1 SECONDS ACTUALLY BEAT THE FACTORY ESTIMATES.

AS WITH LAST YEAR'S A7, OVERSTEER ISSUES DO ARISE THROUGH THE CONES, NOW MAGNIFIED BY THE BEEFED UP POWERTRAIN.

BUT ON THE WHOLE, HANDLING REACTION WITH THE QUATTRO ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM IS VERY PRECISE, AS STEERING REMAINS TOP NOTCH IN FEEL.

THE S7 EXCLUSIVE SPORT TUNED ADAPTIVE AIR SUSPENSION BRINGS RIDE COMFORT WITH STABILITY TOO; ADJUSTED THROUGH THIS AUDI DRIVE SELECT.

FUEL ECONOMY, HOWEVER, IS NOT GREAT; PEGGED AT 20 COMBINED MILES PER GALLON, EVEN WITH A 7 SPEED S-TRONIC TRANSMISSION, AND CYLINDER ON DEMAND TECHNOLOGY THAT SHUTS DOWN FOUR POTS UNDER STEADY-STATE DRIVING CONDITIONS.

THE 2013 AUDI S7, STARTING AT ALMOST $80,000, CONTINUES THE S-LINE PRESTIGE, AND IT IS INDEED A VERY IMPRESSIVE CAR.

AND WE'LL GRAB MORE FIRST DRIVE IMPRESSIONS JUST AS SOON AS WE GRAB MORE NEW SETS OF CAR KEYS!

ASK PEOPLE TO NAME TOYOTA'S BIGGEST SEDAN AND MANY WILL SAY CAMRY.

THEY TEND TO FORGET THAT TOYOTA MAKES A FULL-SIZE FOUR-DOOR, THE AVALON.

AND THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE, AS SALES NUMBERS HAVE NEVER BEEN HUGE.

BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY UNUSUAL FOR A FLAGSHIP SEDAN.

ITS JOB IS TO BE THE STANDARD BEARER OF THE BRAND.

AND, IN AVALON'S CASE, TO DELIVER LOTS OF LUXURY FOR A NON-LEXUS PRICE.

SO LET'S SEE IF THE ALL NEW AVALON CONTINUES TO PLAY ITS PART.

THE 2013 TOYOTA AVALON IS THE 4TH GENERATION OF TOYOTA'S FLAGSHIP.

THIS TIME AROUND IS DESIGNED WITH A SOMEWHAT YOUNGER BUYER IN MIND; PACKING ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE, SLEEKER STYLING, MORE SMARTPHONE CONNECTIVITY, AND CLASS-LEADING FUEL ECONOMY FOR ALL TO ENJOY.

THE HUGE LOWER GRILLE IS WHAT CATCHES YOUR EYE FIRST, AND THAT WAS INTENTIONAL, AS TOYOTA DESIGNERS WANT YOU TO KNOW RIGHT AWAY THAT THIS IS A DIFFERENT TOYOTA, WITH A FAR MORE AGGRESSIVE APPEAL THAN ANY CAMRY.

IN A NOD TO HIGH TECH, THE QUADRABEAM HEADLIGHTS FEATURE TWIN SQUARE GLASS CONDENSER LENSES FOR BOTH HALOGEN AND HID BULBS, AND LED DRLs ARE AVAILABLE.

TOYOTA SAYS THE NEW AVALON IS ONE OF THE BEST LOOKING PASSENGER CARS THEY'VE EVER DESIGNED.

WELL, WE'RE NOT ABOUT TO GO THAT FAR, BUT IT DOES LOOK ABOUT AS RADICAL AS IT CAN WITHOUT LOSING ALL ITS APPEAL TO CURRENT OWNERS.

COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, WHEELBASE IS UNCHANGED, BUT OVERALL LENGTH IS A BIT LESS, MAKING FOR SHORTER OVER HANGS.

IT'S ALSO LOWER AND NARROWER, WHILE TRACK IS WIDER.

THE LONG, SLOPING ROOFLINE AND EXTENDED C-PILLARS GIVE IT THE COUPE-LIKE LOOK THAT IS ALL THE RAGE THESE DAYS.

EVEN THE BACK END GETS AN AGGRESSIVE LOOK WITH LED TAILLIGHTS SET FAR APART AND NICELY INTEGRATED DUAL EXHAUST.

MOVING INSIDE, THERE'S A WELCOMING INTERIOR FULL OF STANDARD COW HIDE WITH HAND-STITCHING AND WOOD TRIM.

THE THEME IS A MIX OF HIGH CRAFTSMANSHIP AND HIGH TECH, FITTING PERFECTLY BELOW THE ALSO NEW LEXUS ES350 WHICH NOW SHARES ITS CHASSIS, AND ROOM, WITH AVALON.

NOW, YOU WON'T CONFUSE AVALON FOR A BENTLEY ANY TIME SOON, BUT IT IS CLEARLY A STEP UP FROM PREVIOUS GENERATION AVALONS.

SEATS ARE MORE THAN COMFORTABLE ENOUGH FOR THE LONG TREK DOWN I-95, AND THE ARTISTICALLY SHAPED, WIDE-FORMAT INSTRUMENT PANEL PROVIDES ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON ITS OPTITRON AND TFT DISPLAYS.

STEERING WHEEL PADDLE SHIFTERS ARE AVAILABLE, AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT WILL APPEAL MORE TO NEW, YOUNGER BUYERS THAN CURRENT ONES.

THIS SMART PHONE EBIN SHOULD APPEAL TO THE YOUNGER ONES, TOO.

THOUGH EVERYONE WILL APPRECIATE ALL THE AVAILABLE UPSCALE FEATURES LIKE HEATED AND COOLED FRONT SEATS, AND POWER REAR SUN SHADE.

OPTIONAL TOO ARE HIGH-END SAFETY FEATURES LIKE BLIND SPOT MONITORING WITH CROSS TRAFFIC ALERT, ALONG WITH BOTH FRONT KNEE AND REAR SEAT AIRBAGS.

THE REAR SEAT IS AGAIN ALMOST LIMO-ROOMY.

TALL ADULTS WILL LOVE IT.

THE ARMREST STILL HAS A PASS-THROUGH, AND ALTHOUGH THE BENCH DOESN'T FOLD, TRUNK SPACE IS A REASONABLE 16-CUBIC FEET.

RIDING ON A STIFFER CHASSIS, THE NEW AVALON IS CERTAINLY MORE RESPONSIVE AND HAS A MUCH LIGHTER OVERALL FEEL, THOUGH WEIGHT IS DOWN ONLY A FEW POUNDS.

NEW TRAPEZOIDAL LINKS IN THE REAR SUSPENSION ALLOW FOR MORE TIRE GRIP, WHILE STIFFER FRONT SPRINGS AND STABILIZER BAR QUICKEN TURN-INS.

UNDER THE HOOD IS THE SAME CAMRY 3.5-LITER V6 AS BEFORE, PUTTING OUT ITS MORE THAN ADEQUATE 268-HORSEPOWER AND 248 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

THE AVALON HYBRID IS NEW, HOWEVER, USING THE CAMRY' GAS-ELECTRIC HYBRID SYNERGY DRIVE HARDWARE.

THE V6'S 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC GAINS A TALLER FINAL DRIVE RATIO, AND NEW IS ECU PROGRAMMING WITH ECO, NORMAL, AND SPORT DRIVING MODES.

TAKEN TOGETHER, TOYOTA EXPECTS GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS TO IMPROVE TO 21-CITY, 31-HIGHWAY, AND 25-COMBINED ON REGULAR GAS.

OFF THE LINE REACTION IS IMPROVED AS WELL, AS TOYOTA CLAIMS A 0 TO 60 TIME OF UNDER SEVEN SECONDS.

THE LAST AVALON THAT WE TESTED TOOK 6.9 SECONDS AND WE EXPECT ABOUT THE SAME HERE.

PRICES HAVE GONE DOWN, STARTING AT $31,750.

THAT'S TWO GRAND LESS THAN LAST YEAR.

HYBRIDS WILL BEGIN AT XLE PREMIUM TRIM FOR $36,315.

CLEARLY, THE AMERICAN MADE 2013 TOYOTA AVALON IS NOT THE GERIATRIC SNOOZER THAT IT ONCE WAS.

WHILE ITS FULL-SIZE STATURE WILL STILL LIMIT APPEAL, YOU WON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE GRANDKIDS TO FIND IT FITS YOUR LIFESTYLE.

IT'S STYLISHLY AGGRESSIVE, EXPERTLY COMFORTABLE, AND HIGH TECH ENOUGH TO BREAK THE AVALON'S AARP TRADITION.

SO, WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD ORDER OF AVALON.

WELL, I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US AGAIN SOON FOR MORE MOTORWEEK , WHEN WE'LL SEE IF THE NEW BMW M5 CAN KEEP ITS CHARISMA IN A CHANGING AUTOMOTIVE WORLD.

AND WE SCORE SOME HIGH VOLTAGE SEAT TIME IN THE TESLA MODEL S. UNTIL NEXT TIME, 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 TIRE RACK.

AND BY... 3M, MAKER OF INNOVATIVE AUTO CARE PRODUCTS.

AGED OR YELLOWED LENSES REDUCE BRIGHTNESS OF HEAD, TAIL AND DIRECTIONAL LIGHTS.

THE 3M HEADLIGHT RESTORATION SYSTEM HELPS RESTORE LENS CLARITY FOR SAFER DRIVING.