Fuel Infection
Automotive Reviews
2011 Volvo S60
0351 days
A sexy, ultra-modern sedan showed up in the driveway, painted a handsome metallic burnt-orange and looking like it had been driven out of a science-fiction movie set four or five years in the future. Without any overt performance styling tropes like massive fender flares or spoilers, the car communicated a quiet sense of capability that was backed up by the familiar circle-and-arrow logo in the grille. Remember when Volvos were boxy, forgettable cars?
Volvo’s S60 gets a style update for 2011, as well as a horsepower boost and a bunch of new technology. Though the tweaks are subtle, they’re telling ones, and this capable European luxury sedan is suddenly looking like a show car come to life. (more…)
2011 Jaguar XJ Supersport
0358 days
Elegant though it was, I have to admit that the Jaguar XJ was getting to be a bit of a hard sell. Its retro styling and sleek, cigar-shaped body were the epitome of cool twenty years ago, but Jaguar’s constant upgrades on the same theme just weren’t in keeping with the changing face of the luxury-sport sedan breed.
So, for 2011, at long last, Jaguar threw out the template completely. This was a big step for the British brand, whose lineup has always been strongly steeped in tradition. For the new XJ, Jaguar’s managed to produce a clean-sheet update that manages to incorporate just about everything that makes the cars identified by the chrome cats awesome. The 2011 XJ is close to being just what a modern Jaguar ought to be, in fact. (more…)
2011 Kia Optima
0362 days
Pontiac spent years trying to perfect the working-class, inexpensive yet sporty sedan that could compete with the Japanese and European manufacturers who trickled into the market in the 1990s. Had it ever gotten the formula quite right, the result might have been similar to the 2011 Kia Optima.
Kia’s formerly forgettable family sedan has gotten a serious makeover for 2011, with an all-new chassis, a move to more efficient four-cylinder power and a body that could’ve been snatched directly from a concept car. The new Optima also broadens its lineup with new hybrid-electric and turbocharged models. (more…)