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Best sport sedans for 2022 and 2023

SUVs dominate the car industry at every size and price level, but some people still prefer the looks, and more importantly, the performance and comfort, of the traditional sedan. With a lower ride height, lighter weight and generally smaller size, they often are much more fun to drive, and can even be more comfortable. Sport sedans of course lean harder on the performance side of things, and are among the best options for sheer speed and fun, thanks to those inherent characteristics. We've rounded up the ones in the segment that do the sporty dance better than any others in 2024 to give you a handy guide when you're shopping for one of your own. You'll find a wide array of cars here including gas, electric and hybrid powertrains. They'll have manual and automatic transmissions and drive the front, rear or all four wheels. Technically a few hatchbacks have slipped in, but they're close enough in look and feel that we wanted to include them. And excluding them means you might miss out on some of the best-driving options available. You wouldn't want that, would you? Alfa Romeo Giulia Why it stands out: Punchy four-cylinder; astounding power from Quadrifoglio; light and nimble character; awesome shift paddlesCould be better: Clunky infotainment; sub-par switchgear Read our Alfa Romeo Giulia review We start this list with one of the most predictable inclusions: the Alfa Romeo Giulia. Yes, it's a stereotype that the Italian sport sedan is fun to drive, but the fact is, well, it is. The Giulia comes standard with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 280 horsepower, making it one of the most powerful four-cylinders in the segment. It's paired with a snappy and smooth eight-speed transmission and either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.  The engine is lively and torquey, if a little short of revs, and the chassis feels super-light. The steering is eager and the car jumps into corners. We also highly recommend getting a version with the enormous and superb aluminum paddle shifters that make clicking through gears much more entertaining. And on the topic of the interior, it's attractive, but the various switches and knobs feels a little cheap, and the infotainment system is clunky. Of course there's also the incredible Giulia Quadrifoglio at the high end. It gets a Ferrari-derived twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 making 505 hp, and it's rear-wheel drive only.

Kia Niro crossover is the company's first dedicated hybrid

Kia arrives in Chicago this week with the Niro, an all-new hybrid crossover joining the company's growing electrified lineup. It's not Kia's first hybrid, but it is the first dedicated hybrid, designed from the ground up with gasoline-electric power. Following the Niro concept from the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show and the teaser images that followed, the production Niro joins the Soul EV and Optima Hybrid in the automaker's EcoDynamics line. Though full specifications and dimensions have yet to be revealed, the Niro rides on a 106-inch wheelbase to slot it size-wise in between the smaller Sportage and larger Sorento. The parallel hybrid powertrain mirrors that of the Ioniq – which is, in turn, parent company Hyundai's first dedicated hybrid and which we're not expecting to see in person until next month. The system pairs a 1.6-liter four with an electric motor, a lithium-ion battery, and a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The sum total is 146 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, and a projected fuel-consumption rating of 50 miles per gallon. View 18 Photos According to Kia's product guru Orth Hedrick, the company has tuned the Niro for "the best combination of outstanding mpg, an engaging driving experience, utility, and most importantly, a stunning design that doesn't shout 'hybrid'." Of course the taller, less streamlined form means it won't cut through the air like a more streamlined sedan or hatchback would, but it's still much slipperier than most crossovers: its drag coefficient of 0.29 comes a lot closer to the Ioniq's 0.24 than it does to the Soul EV's 0.35. We'll wait to see it in person before we decide how that streamlined crossover styling comes across. But for now you can scope out the full details released thus far in the press release below. ALL-NEW 2017 NIRO HYBRID UTILITY VEHICLE ARRIVES IN THE WINDY CITY FOR GLOBAL DEBUT AT CHICAGO AUTO SHOW Kia's Hybrid Utility Vehicle Boasts a Number of Firsts for the Brand, Including an All-New, Dedicated Eco-Car Platform and Unique Hybrid System • Niro is a no-compromise package, maintaining the style and appeal of a utility vehicle while offering outstanding fuel economy with a targeted 50 mpg combined • Niro challenges the hybrid-electric segment with an innovative hybrid system that directly contributes to a dynamic driving experience CHICAGO, Feb.

Kia Niro sets arbitrary Guinness World Record for fuel mileage and nobody cares

For an individual, setting or breaking a Guinness World Record is something worth bragging about at the pub. For a company, it's a marketing tool. The Niro crossover is Kia's first dedicated hybrid, with a company-estimated 50 miles per gallon combined rating, which is enough to set it apart. A world record, though, sounds cool and official, even if they're a dime a dozen these days. Kia presumably paid Guinness its consultation and licensing fees, created a new record category, put hypermiler Wayne Gerdes and co-driver Robert Winger behind the wheel, and off they went to create a very specific piece of history. The record Kia set with the Niro is for the lowest fuel consumption driving across the USA from coast to coast in a hybrid car. The final score: an impressive 76.6 mpg. The stock 2017 Kia Niro traveled 3,715.4 miles from Los Angeles City Hall to New York City Hall on just over four tanks of gas for a total of 48.5 gallons. This isn't the first time Kia and Gerdes have made it into the book you used to love to flip through at your grade school book fair. In 2011, the pair set a Guinness record by driving through the lower 48 states in an Optima Hybrid getting 64.55 mpg. A Honda Insight now holds that record (74.34 mpg). As Guinness World Records become increasingly abundant, they might mean less to the general, non-record-holding public. They're still a source of pride for the record holders. "We're extremely pleased with the Niro's record-breaking performance," says Kia product planner Orth Hedrick. "We set out to build a vehicle that offers real-world utility, great looks, and fantastic mileage, and setting the Guinness World Record title confirms our achievement." Building a dedicated hybrid crossover from the ground up is hard work. 76.6 mpg is an achievement. A Guinness World Record? Anyone can do that. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Kia Niro Sets Guinness World Record Related Gallery 2017 Kia Niro: Chicago 2016 View 16 Photos News Source: Kia Green Kia Fuel Efficiency Hybrid hypermiling kia niro