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2018 Kia Stinger vs. other luxury hatchbacks compared by the numbers

Ten years ago, if you had told us that one of the many new luxury segments to develop would be sedan-style hatchbacks, we'd have said you'd lost your mind. And yet, here we are today with not one, but four cars competing in just such a niche upscale segment: The Kia Stinger, Buick Regal Sportback, BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo and Audi A5. That's just in one size and price bracket. Two of the manufacturers listed here make larger versions of each luxury hatchback. We aren't entirely sure how it happened, but we're not going to complain, because we love the idea of a car with almost no compromise: luxury features, sporty performance, and plenty of practicality. Try Autoblog' s Car Finder to search for your next new vehicle. One of the reasons we're taking a look at these cars right now is that Kia has recently released pricing for its entry in the segment, the Stinger and Stinger GT. Buick wasn't far behind with the Regal Sportback and Regal GS, nor was Audi with the A5 and S5. So it seemed like an appropriate moment to look at the numbers and see which come out ahead or behind, with victors in each category highlighted with bold and underlined text. What we found when comparing these cars' statistics is that each one has a clear area of expertise. For performance, it's hard to beat the four-cylinder Kia Stinger and the V6 Stinger GT. The four-banger has the most horsepower of the four cars, and is just behind on torque. The V6 has the most power and torque among the six-cylinder versions. The Stingers are also the second lightest of the group when equipped with rear-wheel drive, though they fall to third with all-wheel drive. Space is a split between the Buick Regals and BMW 3 Series Gran Turismos. The Buicks have the most cargo space with the rear seats up or folded by a significant margin. The BMW on the other hand generally offers more space for passengers. It's up to you what's most important. Compare these and other potential new vehicle purchases using our tool. When it comes to cost, nothing can beat the four-cylinder Regal's base price of under $26,000. But if a V6 is what you're after, the Stinger GT is the cheapest. Neither matches the Audi A5 and S5 for fuel economy, though. Both Audis have the highest numbers for city, highway, and combined EPA estimates. Related Video:

You might be able to get a BMW i3 for just $24,944

Who wouldn't want to save 44 percent off the price of a new car, especially one as high-tech and green as the BMW i3? For some lucky buyers in Colorado, the luxury plug-in car will be purchasable for just $24,944. Compare that to the standard base MSRP of $42,400. The special deal is being organized by Drive Electric Northern Colorado (DENC), a group of EV advocates that, among other things, organizes group purchases of plug-in vehicles to get every participant a discount. This group buy lops $6,000 off the price of a 2015 i3, and when you combine that with the Federal tax savings of up to $7,500 and the Colorado state tax incentive of up to $6,000, you can end up paying around 44 percent less than the base MSRP. Of course, there are asterisks involved. The fine print says that the deal is only valid at the BMW Center in Loveland, CO, which is the dealership that DENC negotiated with. Supplies are also limited and you have to use BMW Financial Services Owner's Choice program to finance the vehicle. If you want in on the i3 deal, you'd better hurry, because the special price only lasts until January 4, 2016. Colorado seems to have a thing for group buys, with offers for $10,000 Nissan Leafs (also organized by DENC) and cheap rooftop solar available this past year. As good as this latest deal is, it's not the best price we've ever seen for an i3. That would be free, with the tiny requirement that you need to buy a half-million dollar tear-down report from Munro Associates. Featured Gallery 2014 BMW i3 View 107 Photos Green BMW Green Culture Electric colorado

FCA joins BMW, Intel and Mobileye on autonomous car project

Today, BMW, Intel and Mobileye announced that FCA would be joining their effort to build a sharable and scalable platform for autonomous cars. This project has been moving ahead full steam, with Intel purchasing Mobileye earlier this year, not long after Tesla and Mobileye parted ways. Not long after that, parts supplier Delphi joined the autonomous effort. The group's current goal is to have 40 autonomous test vehicles on the road by the end of 2017. The eventual end game is to create a new architecture that each partner can use and adapt to its needs. The platform will support level 3 to level 4/5 automated driving, and can be adapted to suit brand identity. The main headquarters for the effort will be in Germany. FCA staff will join the already established group of engineers from BMW, Intel and Mobileye. The group expects this new platform to hit the streets by 2021. It's unclear how this will affect FCA's relationship with Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous vehicle project. Waymo currently uses modified Chrysler Pacificas for its fleet. In addition to FCA, the trio of BMW, Intel and Mobileye have extended an invitation to any other automakers and suppliers that want to join the project. Related Video: News Source: BMW/Intel Green BMW Chrysler Fiat Autonomous Vehicles mobileye