A tour of the New York International Auto Show unveils many trends in the car making business. But, the obvious dominant consumer demand is fuel economy. To that end, we're seeing more specified fuel saving technologies find their ways into very affordable makes and models.
Case in point, the new Kia Rio I'm seeing on the NYIAS floor.. The most affordable car in the Kia line (climbing to around a maxed out $18,000), the Rio is the automaker's entry level vehicle. But, it now comes with an optional Start/Stop function. The self-explanatory feature kills the engine briefly when the engine is idling and the driver's foot is on the brake – at red lights, for example, The moment the braking foot is lifted, the car starts again and is immediately ready for travel. That is now available on a vehicle most drivers can afford.
Admittedly, this is not the most Earth shattering news I've ever reported. Still, it serves to prove a point. Until even a year ago, Start/Stop was a newer feature seen more often in elite makes.
It's a definitive sign that automakers are turning to any and all available technology to squeeze better fuel economy numbers out of all their cars. As gas prices climb well through $4 per gallon range, it's getting to the point where the fuel economy numbers are more important than the actual sticker price.
Source: Crave Online
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