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

JOIN US AS WE BRAVE THE ELEMENTS OF ROEBLING ROAD RACEWAY IN THE LAMBORGHINI HURACAN SPYDER... PAT GOSS TELLS US ABOUT A KEY ISSUE OF CAR CARE... ROGER MECCA TAKES A PONTIAC GTO OUT FOR ANOTHER TIME TRAVEL SPIN... AND WE'LL HEAD BACK TO THE FUTURE IN THE KIA OPTIMA...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

Announcer: THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OF MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY... PHYLLIS IS HEADED TO A SCIENCE CONFERENCE, SO SHE'S NOT THINKING ABOUT TIRES RIGHT NOW.

IF SHE WERE, ALL SHE'D NEED TO KNOW IS TIRERACK.COM.

BUT PHYLLIS IS THINKING...

"UHHH...I'M NOT REALLY SURE, BUT IT'S PROBABLY IMPORTANT."

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

John: USUALLY, WHEN YOU HEAR A HURRICANE IS A COMIN', YOU HEAD INDOORS AND BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES.

BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING THE LAMBORGHINI HURACAN, YOU WANT TO GET OUT INTO THE ELEMENTS AND FULLY ENJOY IT.

AND NOW, WITH THE LP 610-4 SPYDER, YOU CAN ENJOY THOSE ELEMENTS MORE THAN EVER.

THE ITALIANS MUST BE TRUE SUN WORSHIPPERS, AS WITH JUST ABOUT EVERY EXOTIC ITALIAN HARDTOP THAT COMES OUR WAY, IT'S QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY A SOFT TOP VERSION.

THAT'S JUST FINE BY US, AS A NEW CONVERTIBLE SUPERCAR IS REASON ENOUGH TO SEEK MORE SEAT TIME; CARS LIKE THIS 2016 LAMBORGHINI HURACAN LP 610-4 SPYDER.

A CAR THAT IS NOT REALLY ABOUT THE SUN YOU SEEK, BUT RATHER ALL THE ATTENTION YOU'LL GET ROLLING UP IN THIS STUNNING, OPEN COCKPIT ULTRA HIGH PERFORMER.

THE TOPLESS VERSION OF THE HURACAN COUPE, THE ENTRY LEVEL LAMBO IF YOU WILL, AND CHASSIS MATE OF THE AUDI R8.

NOW, IT'S HARD TO CALL ANY CAR WITH A 610 HORSEPOWER V10 ENTRY LEVEL.

IT'S DECA-CYLINDERED, 5.2 LITER MID-MOUNTED POWERPLANT STILL FULLY ON DISPLAY UNDER THE REAR HATCH, AND EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS IN ALL ITS NATURALLY ASPIRATED GLORY.

POWER NUMBERS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE COUPE WHICH MEANS THERE'S 413 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE ON TAP.

ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE IS STANDARD.

WHAT'LL IT DO?

WELL, IN A STRAIGHT LINE, IT'S EASY TO LAUNCH, WITH ONLY A MODEST HESITATION BEFORE FULL POWER COMES RUSHING ON, USHERING US TO 60 IN 3.3 SECONDS.

KEEPING THINGS IN SPORT MODE AND LETTING THE 7-SPEED DUAL CLUTCH TRANS SHIFT FOR ITSELF PROVED TO BE THE BEST TACTIC, AS IT HAULED US TO THE END OF THE QUARTER MILE IN 11.2 SECONDS AT 131 MILES PER HOUR.

AS FOR TAKING TURNS, WELL AT ROEBLING ROAD RACEWAY NEAR SAVANNAH, GEORGIA; THIS HURACAN RIFLES THROUGH TWO MILES OF CORNERS WITH DEADLY PRECISION, NEVER BREAKING A SWEAT.

STEERING IS QUICK, AND DIRECT, AND THE CAR SEEMS TO ANTICIPATE YOUR INPUTS; NEVER GETTING CAUGHT OFF GUARD, NO MATTER HOW CLUMSY THE DRIVER.

BUT AS FUN AND CAPABLE AS IT IS THROUGH TURNS, BLASTING DOWN THE STRAIGHT IS THE BEST EXPERIENCE FOR ALL OF THE SENSES, WITH THAT ENGINE WAILING AWAY BEHIND YOU, AND SHIFTS HITTING HARD WITH BRUTAL DIRECTION.

AND AT THE END OF IT, THE STANDARD CARBON CERAMIC BRAKES BIT DOWN HARD, CONSISTENTLY SLOWING OUR HURRY IN A FLASH, SO WE CAN START THE WHOLE PROCESS OVER AGAIN.

AS EXPECTED, ABOUT 250 POUNDS OF WEIGHT HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE CHASSIS' HYBRID MIX OF ALUMINUM AND CARBON-FIBER, BUT YOU WON'T NOTICE IT.

IF THERE'S ANY COMPLAINT TO BE HAD, IT'S THAT MUCH LIKE THE R8, IT'S SO EASY TO DRIVE FAST, THAT AFTER YOU PULL INTO THE PITS, THERE'S LITTLE SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT, LIKE YOU'VE JUST FEARLESSLY SLAYED THE DRAGON AND LIVED TO TELL ABOUT.

NOW, UNLIKE SOME SPYDER'S WITH FLIMSY TAKE OFF TOPS, THE HURACAN'S FOLDS QUICKLY INTO A REAR COMPARTMENT WITH THE PUSH OF A BUTTON JUST LIKE A NORMAL CONVERTIBLE SHOULD.

TOP DOWN, THE MOST NOTICEABLE ADDITIONS ARE THE FAIRING'S THAT FLOW OUT OF THE HEADRESTS, ADDING A UNIQUE LOOK, ESPECIALLY FROM THE REAR, BUT THEY ALSO REDUCE TURBULENCE IN THE COCKPIT.

THE REAR AIR INTAKES AND SURFACES ABOVE THE BACK WHEELS HAVE ALSO BEEN TWEAKED.

WITH TOP UP, THE LOOK IS CERTAINLY DIFFERENT THAN THE COUPE, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO KEEP IT FROM BEING RECOGNIZABLE AS A HURACAN.

STILL LOW AND WIDE AND FULL OF ANGLES, STILL AWESOME LOOKING NO MATTER WHICH ANGLE YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT FROM.

THINGS INSIDE ARE STILL DESIGNED MORE FOR COMPACT ITALIANS THAN FULL-SIZE AMERICANS, AND THE CLOTH TOP SEEMS TO HAVE LESSENED HEADROOM COMPARED TO THE COUPE.

BUT ONCE YOU GET SETTLED, IT'S A FABULOUS AND FAIRLY COMFORTABLE PLACE TO GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS.

AND IF YOUR BUSINESS IS CRUISING THE STRIP, THE HURACAN SPYDER IS A MORE THAN WORTHY COMPANION; AS STREET RIDE IS PLENTY SMOOTH.

AND OF COURSE, WITH THE TOP DOWN EVERYONE CAN CATCH A BETTER GLIMPSE OF WHO'S BEHIND THE WHEEL.

AUTO STOP/START HAS BEEN ADDED TO ALL HURACAN'S FOR '16 MODEL YEAR, HELPING FUEL ECONOMY SOMEWHAT.

THOSE GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 14-CITY, 20-HIGHWAY, AND 16-COMBINED.

THE OPEN AIR HURACAN EXPERIENCE STARTS AT $267,545; OR ABOUT 25-GRAND MORE THAN THE COUPE.

AND WITH THAT HURACAN COUPE HELPING LAMBORGHINI HIT RECORD SALES NUMBERS; IT'S A "NO-BRAINER" THAT THIS "NO-ROOFER" WILL HELP KEEP THINGS ON THE UPSWING FOR THE BRAND.

AS THE 2016 LAMBORGHINI HURACAN LP 610-4 SPYDER IS A WINDBLOWN WINNER THAT WILL KEEP SHAKING THINGS UP IN THE EXOTIC SPORTS CAR ARENA.

OUR SUCCESS STORY THIS WEEK TAKES US TO PHOENIX, ARIZONA, WHERE THE CITY'S REFUSE TRUCKS ARE LINING UP TO GET THEIR FILL OF CNG.

THERE ARE 62 CNG TRUCKS IN THE CITY'S SOLID WASTE FLEET, A NUMBER THAT IS SURE TO GROW.

THE GOAL IS FOR 80 PERCENT OF THE DEPARTMENT'S VEHICLES TO BE CNG BY 2020.

PARTNERING WITH THE VALLEY OF THE SUN CLEAN CITIES COALITION, THE CITY HAS BOTH REDUCED POLLUTION AND FUEL COSTS SINCE THE EARLY 2000s.

Jennifer Campbell: THE COST SAVINGS ON FUEL RUNS AT LEAST A DOLLAR A GALLON AND OF COURSE, THE CNG COSTS ARE MUCH MORE STABLE THAN THE DIESEL OR UNLEADED COSTS, WHICH AS YOU KNOW, FLUCTUATE THOUGH OUT THE YEAR.

John: AS DIESEL TRUCKS IN THE FLEET AGE OUT, CNG TRUCKS ARE IN THE PIPELINE, READY TO REPLACE THEM AND ROLL OUT ONTO PHOENIX CITY STREETS!

GERMANY IS KNOWN FOR ITS PERFORMANCE SEDANS, ITALY FOR ITS EXOTIC SPORTS CARS AND ENGLAND FOR THE ROADSTER.

AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IS CERTAINLY FAMOUS FOR ONE THING: RED, WHITE, AND BLUE, V-8 MUSCLE CARS.

AS OUR OWN ROGER MECCA DISCOVERED, THE IDEA BEHIND ONE EARLY MUSCLE MACHINE IS QUITE A STORY, AND LIKE ALL GOOD CAR TALES, IT DIDN'T BEGIN IN A BOARDROOM, BUT IN A GARAGE.

Roger Mecca: IF THERE'S ONE GENRE OF AUTOMOBILE THAT AMERICA IS SYNONYMOUS WITH, IT'S THE MUSCLE CAR.

SINCE THEY ROARED ONTO THE SCENE IN THE 1960s, MANY AMERICAN CAR FANS HAVE TURNED THEIR NOSES UP AT THE RACY IMPORTS FROM EUROPE, AND JAPAN, IN FAVOR OF SMALL BLOCK V8s FROM DETROIT.

AND IF YOU'RE LIKE MOST OF THEM, WHEN YOU THINK OF A CLASSIC AMERICAN MUSCLE CAR, IMAGES OF MUSTANGS, CAMAROS, AND CHALLENGERS INSTANTLY COME TO MIND.

BUT IT WASN'T THE MUSTANG, OR THE CAMARO, OR THE CHALLENGER, THAT BROUGHT ABOUT THE MUSCLE CAR ERA, IT WAS THIS: THE PONTIAC GTO.

AND FOR AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF GEAR HEADS, IT WAS THE ONLY CAR TO HAVE.

CHIP MILLER IS THE CO-OWNER OF EUROSTAR AUTO GALLERY IN COCKEYSVILLE, MARYLAND, DEALING IN VINTAGE AND EXOTIC AUTOMOBILES.

HE'S ALSO ONE OF THE GTO'S BIGGEST FANS.

Chip Miller: IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL IN EVERY SENSE.

THE RUMBLE, THE EXHAUST NOTE WAS SPECTACULAR.

SOMETHING I DON'T THINK ANYBODY REALLY HAD MASTERED QUITE AS WELL AS PONTIAC HAD WHEN THEY BROUGHT THAT CAR OUT.

Roger: IT'S ACTUALLY A MIRACLE THE GTO WAS BUILT AT ALL.

BACK IN 1963, GENERAL MOTORS DECLARED THEY WEREN'T GOING TO GET INVOLVED IN AUTO RACING ANYMORE.

AND SINCE PONTIAC WAS THE PERFORMANCE BRAND OF GM, THEY HAD TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING ELSE TO DO!

WHAT THEY DID, WAS FIND A LOOPHOLE.

IT TURNED OUT THE REGULATIONS HANDED DOWN FROM THE BOSSES ONLY APPLIED TO DISTINCT MODELS, NOT VARIATIONS OR SPECIAL OPTIONS PACKAGES.

SO, THE ENGINEERS AT PONTIAC GOT CLEVER WITH THE DESIGN OF A CAR ALREADY IN PRODUCTION, THE NEW MID-SIZE TEMPEST WHICH WAS SET TO DEBUT IN 1964.

SO THE STORY GOES THAT BILL CANON, WHO WAS AN ENGINEER FOR PONTIAC, WAS TALKING TO JOHN DELOREAN, YES, THAT SAME DELOREAN, WHO WAS THE CHIEF ENGINEER FOR PONTIAC.

THEY'RE LOOKING AT A PONTIAC TEMPEST.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, BILL TURNS TO JOHN AND SAYS, "YOU KNOW, IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES I COULD TAKE OUT THIS LOUSY 326 AND PUT IN A 389."

JOHN GAVE HIM THE GO AHEAD AND IN A WEEK THE GTO PROTOTYPE WAS BURNING RUBBER DOWN A RACETRACK.

AND THAT'S IT.

THAT IS HOW THE LEGENDARY GTO WAS BORN.

NO FANCY BOARD MEETINGS, NO MARKETING GURUS, NO FOCUS GROUPS OR HOURS OF RESEARCH LOOKING AT DEMOGRAPHICS.

JUST A COUPLE OF GEARHEADS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PACK MORE HORSEPOWER INTO SOMETHING WITH 4-WHEELS WITHOUT THE BOSS FINDING OUT!

SO WHAT'S IT LIKE TO DRIVE A VINTAGE GTO.

WELL, THIS IS A 45 YEAR OLD MUSCLE CAR WHICH MEANS IT HAS DRUM BRAKES, VERY LIGHT STEERING, IT WEIGHS ABOUT 5 TONS AND THE SUSPENSION IS A LITTLE BOUNCY.

ALL OF THAT ADDS UP TO A CAR THAT DOESN'T LIKE TO GO AROUND CORNERS TOO FAST.

BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT FUN TO DRIVE.

YOU SEE, THIS CAR WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE A TIGHT-TWISTING ROADSTER.

IT WAS BUILT TO CRUISE, AND GLIDE DOWN THE HIGHWAY, AND WHEN NEEDED, FLY DOWN MAIN STREET WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN.

AND OF COURSE, THERE'S MY FAVORITE PART, THE SOUND!

DEPENDING ON THE VARIATION AND YEAR, HORSEPOWER WILL BE BETWEEN 350, AND 380, YOU'LL REACH 60 MILES PER HOUR IN ROUGHLY 6-SECONDS AND TOP SPEED WILL BE IN THE 140 RANGE.

BUT WHILE THE PERFORMANCE IS TAME BY TODAY'S STANDARDS, THE PRESENCE OF THE GTO JUST SEEMS TO INCREASE WITH EACH PASSING MILE.

Chip: ALL THE WAY AROUND, FROM EVERY IMAGINABLE ANGLE, THE CAR SAYS, "LOOK OUT, I'M HERE."

IT MAKES A STATEMENT, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY IT'S ENDURED, JUST LIKE A GOOD ROCK BAND HAS.

YOU KNOW WHEN THE MUSIC'S CLASSIC AND IT'S GOOD, IT LASTS.

Roger: SO BY NOW, YOU PROBABLY WANT TO FULFILL YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAM OF OWNING A GTO.

WELL, YOU'RE IN LUCK.

BECAUSE THEY MADE SO MANY OF THEM OVER THE YEARS, YOU CAN HAVE A REALLY NICE EXAMPLE, JUST LIKE THIS, FOR UNDER $40,000.

SADLY, AS WE ALL KNOW, PONTIAC AND THE GTO NAME ARE GONE.

BUT THE SPIRIT, FUN, AND SHEER JOY OF DRIVING LIVE ON IN THIS BEAUTY, THE ONE CAR WE CAN THANK FOR DELIVERING AMERICAN MUSCLE.

John: PAT GOSS ALWAYS COVERS THE KEY ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO CAR CARE... LET'S SEE WHAT HE'S GOT A LOCK ON THIS WEEK.

Pat Goss: IF YOU ASK MOST PEOPLE WHAT THE SIMPLEST PART ON A CAR IS, WELL THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO THINK FOR A MINUTE OR TWO, AND THEN SAY, "THE CAR KEY."

WELL IN THE PAST, THAT USED TO BE THE CASE.

BUT TODAY, THESE KEYS HAVE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS IN THEM THAT TALK TO THE CAR, AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS FOR SAFETY CONCERNS.

SO, THEY'RE ANYTHING BUT THE SIMPLEST PART OF THE CAR THESE DAYS.

SO IF YOU NEED A NEW KEY MADE, DON'T BE SURPRISED IF IT COSTS YOU IN EXCESS OF A HUNDRED DOLLARS BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE PROGRAMMED TO THE CAR AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF.

ALRIGHT, BUT ONE OF THE MORE COMMON PROBLEMS WE SEE WITH VEHICLES IS RIGHT HERE: THE KEY FOB.

THIS IS THE PORTION THAT CONTROLS THE LOCKS AND EVERYTHING REMOTELY.

THESE FREQUENTLY COME UP MISSING.

NOW, YOU MAY HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE DEALER TO GET ONE, OR YOU COULD DO WHAT WE DID TO GET THIS ONE: THIS ONE CAME FROM DORMAN PRODUCTS.

NOW, WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT IT IS THAT IT COMES WITH A PROGRAMMER.

SO, THIS PROGRAMMER FITS INTO THE INTERFACE ON THE CAR, AND ALLOWS YOU TO PROGRAM THE NEW KEY FOB TO YOUR CAR.

ALRIGHT, NOW ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THESE KEY FOBS IS... AGAIN ANOTHER SOLUTION FROM DORMAN IS THAT KEY FOBS LIKE TO BREAK RIGHT WHERE THE RING GOES THROUGH THEM.

IN THE PAST, YOU HAD TO BUY AN ENTIRE NEW FOB.

NOW, THEY HAVE THESE COVERS THAT FIT OVER IT, RESTORE IT TO LIKE NEW CONDITION.

IT'S A SIMPLE, CHEAP WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

NOW, HERE'S ONE.

THIS IS A KEY FOR A SERIES 5 CAMARO.

IT'S WHAT'S CALLED "A SWITCHBLADE KEY."

YOU PUSH A BUTTON, AND THE BLADE OR THE KEY, POPS OUT OF THE SIDE OF IT.

WELL, THEY FOUND THAT SOME PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO HIT THIS WITH THEIR KNEE AND SHUT THE CAR OFF, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS MOVING.

SO THEY RECALLED THEM.

AND WHAT THEY CAME UP WITH IS, THEY CUT THE KEY OUT OF THE FOB, AND THEN THEY GIVE YOU A CONVENTIONAL KEY THAT HANGS ON THE FOB ON A RING, WHICH IS OKAY I GUESS, EXCEPT IT'S A BIG LUMP IN YOUR POCKET.

AND IT ALSO DANGLES DOWN AND KEEPS THUMPING AGAINST THE STEERING COLUMN ALL THE TIME, VERY ANNOYING.

SO FOR MY CAR, I HAD ONE MADE.

IT'S A LITTLE EXPENSIVE, BUT THE BIG THING IS, IF YOU WANT TO OPT OUT OF THE RECALL OR HAVE ONE OF THESE MADE, YOU HAVE TO SIGN A RELEASE.

SO IF YOU OPT TO DO THAT, WELL, MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF IT, AND BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT HITTING IT WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING.

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

John: FOURTEEN MONTHS AND A WHOPPING 28,990 MILES... THOSE ARE THE RUNNING NUMBERS FOR OUR 2015 MAZDA CX-9.

WE'RE CLEARLY PUTTING THE CX-9 TO GOOD USE, HAULING CREW, AND CARGO, ON COMMUTES, AND LONG ROAD TRIPS ALIKE.

FUEL ECONOMY SITS AT 19.3 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR.

LIKE WE'VE SAID BEFORE: IT'S NOT GREAT, BUT BETTER THAN EXPECTED FROM ITS ROBUST 3.7 LITER V6 WITH ALL-WHEEL DRIVE.

WHAT IT LACKS IN STYLE, IT MORE THAN MAKES UP FOR WITH SUBSTANCE, GIVING A TYPICALLY MAZDA SPORTY EDGE NOT SEEN IN MOST 3-ROW UTILITIES.

THAT, PLUS THE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING WHEN YOU FIRE IT UP.

AND THAT'S JUST THE WAY WE LIKE IT.

WE'RE MARKING ONE YEAR AND 20,000 MILES WITH OUR CHRYSLER 200.

THAT'S A LONG DISTANCE, AND A LONG TIME FOR THE LOGBOOK TO FILL UP WITH COMMENTS.

THE POSITIVES?

THE 295 HORSEPOWER 3.6 LITER PENTASTAR V6...

SMOOTH POWER, AND PLENTY OF IT IN RESERVE.

NEXT IS INTERIOR COMFORT AND APPOINTMENTS, AND THE UCONNECT SYSTEM'S EASE OF USE.

ALL MAKING FOR A PLEASANT TIME BEHIND THE WHEEL.

FUEL ECONOMY CHECKS IN AT 26.6 MILES PER GALLON; A SLIGHT DROP, BUT STILL ABOVE EPA ESTIMATES.

SO WHAT'S GRINDING OUR GEARS?

THE 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC CONTINUES TO HICCUP, AND SOME DRIVERS ARE STILL ADJUSTING TO THE ROTARY SHIFT KNOB.

ALL IN ALL, THOUGH, WE'RE LOVING OUR TIME IN THE 200.

A GREAT MID-SIZE FAMILY SEDAN.

WE'LL SEE IF WE'RE FEELING THE LOVE WITH THE NISSAN MURANO AND THE HONDA PILOT ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

YOLANDA VAZQUEZ HAS ALL THE HEADLINES FROM THE WINDY CITY AND THE 2016 CHICAGO AUTO SHOW!

Yolanda Vazquez: THE CHICAGO AUTO SHOW DRAWS THE NATION'S BIGGEST CROWD OF ACTUAL CAR CONSUMERS.

AND MOTORWEEK WAS ON HAND FOR ALL THE NEWS BLOWING OUT OF THE WINDY CITY FOR 2016.

NISSAN KICKED THINGS OFF WITH AN ALL-NEW ARMADA FULL-SIZE SUV.

LIKE THE INFINITI QX80, IT'S NOW BASED ON THE FULL-FRAMED NISSAN PATROL, AS ASSEMBLY SHIFTS FROM TENNESSEE TO JAPAN.

A 5.6 LITER V8 STAYS UNDER THE HOOD, NOW WITH 390 HORSEPOWER, AS CHEAP GAS GIVES THIS BRUTE A NEW LEASE ON LIFE.

AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE YARDSTICK, CHEVROLET SHOWED A FRESHENED TRAX SUBCOMPACT CROSSOVER.

STYLING TWEAKS AND EQUIPMENT UPGRADES SHOULD KEEP IT COMPETITIVE.

CHEVY ROLLED OUT A PAIR OF PICKUPS; MIDNIGHT EDITIONS OF THE COLORADO, AND SILVERADO.

FOR ENTHUSIASTS, THERE'S A NEW CHEVROLET CAMARO 1LE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE, AVAILABLE WITH V8 OR FIRST-TIME V6.

UPGRADES INCLUDE REVISED SUSPENSION AND BRAKES, A SHORT THROW SHIFTER, DUAL-MODE EXHAUST, AND THE CORVETTE'S PERFORMANCE DATA RECORDER.

OVER AT FCA, RAM DEBUTED A NEW POWER WAGON, BASED ON THEIR 2500 HEAVY DUTY PICKUP.

HYUNDAI SHOWED AN UPDATED SANTA FE, AND SANTA FE SPORT CROSSOVER.

WHILE KIA PRODUCED A JOLT WITH THE PRODUCTION NIRO HYBRID CROSSOVER, THEIR FIRST MODEL ON A DEDICATED GAS-HYBRID PLATFORM.

KIA ALSO PULLED OFF THE WRAPS ON BOTH HYBRID AND PLUG-IN HYBRID OPTIMA SEDANS.

TOYOTA BROUGHT SOME ATTITUDE TO CHICAGO WITH THIS TRD PRO TACOMA PICKUP... FORD SHOWED UP WITH AN INDUSTRY FIRST: AN EXPLORER WITH A SLIDING SIDE DOOR AND RAMP FOR WHEELCHAIR ACCESS...

THE CHICAGO-BUILT EXPLORER FELT THE LOVE EVEN MORE WITH THIS SPECIAL APPEARANCE PACKAGE; IT INCLUDES 20" WHEELS, A UNIQUE GRILL, AND AN UPGRADED INTERIOR.

SO, THAT'S THE LATEST CAR BUZZ FROM "CHI-TOWN", AND THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

John: THERE'S NO DOUBT THE 2011 KIA OPTIMA MIDSIZE SEDAN WAS A HEAD TURNING, MILESTONE VEHICLE.

IT PROCLAIMED THAT KIA WAS NO LONGER AN UP AND COMING BRAND, BUT RATHER ONE THAT HAD FULLY ARRIVED AND NOW A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH.

WELL, IT'S TIME FOR A NEW GEN OPTIMA, AND FOR US TO FIND OUT IF THAT TREND IS STILL UP.

THE 2016 KIA OPTIMA IS THE 4TH GENERATION OF KIA'S BEST SELLING MODEL, AND TO SAY IT HAS A LOT ON ITS SHOULDERS IS PROBABLY AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

AS THE OPTIMA, ALONG WITH THE HELP OF THE SORENTO, AND SOUL, HAS BEEN PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR ELEVATING KIA TO ITS PLACE AS THE 8TH LARGEST AUTOMOTIVE BRAND IN THE U.S.

THE OPTIMA'S MISSION TO PROPEL THE BRAND EVER FORWARD WILL BE POWERED BY THREE AVAILABLE POWERTRAINS.

BASE MODELS GET A 2.4 LITER NATURALLY ASPIRATED I4, WITH 185 HORSEPOWER AND 178 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE ACCOMPANIED BY A 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

A 1.6 LITER TURBO-4 IS THE MOST FUEL EFFICIENT OFFERING FOR NOW, AT 178 HORSEPOWER AND 195 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, AIDED BY A NEW 7-SPEED DCT OF KIA'S OWN DESIGN.

THAT MAKES THE 2.0 LITER I4 TURBO, THE HOT ROD OF THE GROUP AT 245 HORSEPOWER AND 260 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

IT'S AN UPDATED VERSION, AND THAT WORKS WITH A 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC.

THE EXTERIOR DESIGN HAS BEEN MODERNIZED, AND SMOOTHED, BUT NOT CHANGED DRAMATICALLY; AS KIA WANTED IT TO STILL BE RECOGNIZABLE AS THE CAR THAT REALLY PUT THEM ON THE MAP DESIGN WISE.

THE TIGER SHARK NOSE GETS A FLATTER TREATMENT COMPARED TO THE SORENTO AND SEDONA, WHILE A CHROME ROOF SPEAR CARRIES THAT FLAIR REARWARD.

IN SIZE, IT IS 0.4 INCHES LONGER IN BOTH LENGTH AND WHEELBASE, AND 1-INCH WIDER.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, ADDITIONAL USE OF HIGH STRENGTH STEEL MEANS A MUCH STIFFER STRUCTURE.

CORRESPONDINGLY, INTERIOR SPACE GOES UP SLIGHTLY, AS HAS MATERIAL QUALITY.

MOST SURFACES APPEAR MUCH NICER, AND IF YOU SEE STITCHING, IT'S REAL STITCHING, NOT MOLDED.

TOP TRIM SXL FEATURES LUXURY CAR WORTHY DIAMOND STITCHED SEATS THAT PROVED VERY COMFORTABLE.

THE OVERALL RESULT IS MAYBE NOT QUITE AS IMPRESSIVE AS THE SORENTO, BUT PERHAPS OUR EXPECTATIONS HAVE GOTTEN TOO HIGH.

BACK SEAT ROOM IS VERY GOOD, THOUGH SEATS ARE A LITTLE ON THE HARD SIDE AND FLAT.

SAFETY SYSTEMS TAKE A STEP UP, INCLUDING AUTONOMOUS BRAKING, WHICH WORKED FLAWLESSLY VOLVO LIKE IN OUR BARRIER TEST, AND THE AVAILABLE HARMON KARDON AUDIO WITH 630 WATTS WILL TURN YOUR COMMUTE INTO A CONCERT.

TRUNK FINISH IS A TAD NICER THAN BEFORE, BUT COULD BE IMPROVED UPON EVEN MORE.

STOWAGE SPACE SEES A SLIGHT INCREASE TO 15.9 CUBIC-FEET.

DRIVING IMPRESSIONS REALLY COME DOWN TO TRIM LEVEL.

WHILE ALL MODELS BENEFIT GREATLY FROM THE STIFFER STRUCTURE, REVAMPED SUSPENSION, SELECTABLE DRIVE MODES, AND A SMOOTHER RIDE; ONLY UP LEVEL SX AND SXL TRIMS GET UPGRADED EPs WITH A RACK MOUNTED STEERING BOX THAT HAS A MUCH MORE DIALED IN FEEL.

MUCH LIKE ITS HYUNDAI SONATA CHASSIS MATE, THINGS ARE VERY QUIET INSIDE.

WIND NOISE HAS BEEN VIRTUALLY ELIMINATED AND ENGINE NOISE ONLY SNEAKS IN WHEN GOING HEAVY ON THE THROTTLE, LEAVING JUST SOME MINOR ROAD NOISE TO TUNE OUT.

OF NOTE, WHILE VIRTUALLY ALL OPTIMA'S ARE BUILT HERE IN THE U.S., KIA DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO IMPORT SOME SHOULD DEMAND OVERWHELM THEIR GEORGIA PLANT'S CAPACITY.

AS FOR SPRINTS TO 60, A 2.0 TURBO OPTIMA GETS THINGS DONE IN 7.1 SECONDS.

WITH AN EAGER MOTOR AND SHARP AUTOMATIC SHIFTS, THE QUARTER MILE ENDS IN 15.4 SECONDS AT 91 MILES PER HOUR.

THE GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 22-CITY, 32-HIGHWAY, AND 25-COMBINED.

WE AVERAGED A DECENT 24.2 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR.

THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE IS LIKEWISE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AT 13.2 BARRELS OF OIL BURNED AND 5.9 TONS OF CO2 EMITTED YEARLY.

REASONABLE PRICING HAS ALWAYS BEEN A KIA DRAW, AND WHILE BASE PRICING OF $22,840 MEANS IT NOT'S THE BARGAIN THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN IN YEARS PAST, IT STILL DELIVERS A HECK OF A LOT OF CAR FOR THE MONEY.

IT'S HARD TO THINK THAT THE 2016 KIA OPTIMA COULD POSSIBLY HAVE THE IMPACT THAT ITS PREDECESSOR DID, BUT AS THE BRAND HAS ROCKETED UP THE AUTOMOTIVE PYRAMID, THINGS NARROW AND IT GETS HARDER AND HARDER TO IMPRESS.

BUT THE OPTIMA STILL HAS ENOUGH STEAM TO DO JUST THAT.

WELL THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK WHY NOT CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST AS WELL AS COMPLETE EPISODES AT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME, AS WE SPLIT OUR TRACK TIME WITH A PAIR OF CADILLAC'S V SERIES SEDAN AND LAY DOWN RUBBER, GEORGIA STYLE, AT ROEBLING ROAD.

THEN SEE IF THE ALL-NEW HONDA CIVIC IS BACK ON SOLID GROUND... PAT GOSS SHOWS US WHY IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS... ZACHASKELL TAKES US ON AN OVER THE EDGE EXPEDITION... THAT, PLUS QUICKSPIN FIRST DRIVING IMPRESSIONS... UNTIL THEN, 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... PHYLLIS IS HEADED TO A SCIENCE CONFERENCE, SO SHE'S NOT THINKING ABOUT TIRES RIGHT NOW.

IF SHE WERE, ALL SHE'D NEED TO KNOW IS TIRERACK.COM.

BUT PHYLLIS IS THINKING...

"UHHH...I'M NOT REALLY SURE, BUT IT'S PROBABLY IMPORTANT."

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

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