2013 Lotus Evora S IPS & 2013 Audi allroad

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

JOIN US AS WE TEST THE "LESS IS MORE" MANTRA OF THE NEW "PADDLE SHIFT" LOTUS EVORA S. PAT GOSS HAS PRICELESS ADVICE ON CHEAP GAS DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE.

OVER THE EDGE GUY STEVEN CHUPNICK CHECKS OUT A NEW HIGH-TECH AUTO PLANT.

AND WE'LL SEE IF ALL-IS-WELL WITH THE RETURN OF THE AUDI ALLROAD.

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

Announcer: MOTORWEEK, TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Man: AHH!

OHH.

AHH.

Monk: YOU MAY ASK ONE QUESTION.

Man: [HEAVY SIGH] WHICH TIRE CATEGORY SHOULD I CHOOSE TO GET THE MOST COMFORTABLE RIDE?

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TIRERACK.COM CAN HELP YOU GET THE ANSWERS YOU NEED, AND HELP YOU FIND WHICH TIRES ARE BEST FOR YOU.

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT TIRERACK.COM.

AND BY... ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS.

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AND BY... 3M, MAKER OF INNOVATIVE AUTO CARE PRODUCTS.

AGED OR YELLOWED LENSES REDUCE BRIGHTNESS OF HEAD, TAIL AND DIRECTIONAL LIGHTS.

THE 3M HEADLIGHT RESTORATION SYSTEM HELPS RESTORE LENS CLARITY FOR SAFER DRIVING.

John Davis: DOING A LOT WITH A LITTLE HAS BEEN A WAY OF LIFE AT LOTUS OVER ITS ENTIRE 60 YEAR HISTORY.

WHETHER IT'S CUTTING WEIGHT OR TAKING TOYOTA ENGINES TO THE MAX, LOTUS CONTINUES TO IMPRESS WITH THEIR BRILLIANTLY MISERLY WAYS.

WELL, THEIR LATEST REDUCTION IS THE REMOVAL OF THE CLUTCH PEDAL FROM THEIR 2+2 EVORA SPORTS CAR.

SO LET'S HIT THE TRACK AND FIND OUT IF PADDLE SHIFTS MAKE THE NEW EVORA AN AUTOMATIC WINNER.

IN MANY WAYS, A CAR'S TRANSMISSION IS ITS PERSONALITY.

IT CAN BE NEEDY, REQUIRING CONSTANT INVOLVEMENT; OR IT CAN BE SELF-RELIANT, TAKING CARE OF GEAR SELECTION ON ITS OWN.

SO A CHANGE IN TRANSMISSION, AS WE FIND HERE IN THE 2013 LOTUS EVORA S, HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ALTER ITS PERSONALITY AND THUS CHANGE THE WAY WE FEEL ABOUT THE CAR AS A WHOLE.

WELL, WE COULDN'T THINK OF A BETTER PLACE TO GET ACQUAINTED WITH THIS NEW PADDLE SHIFT EVORA, THE FIRST EXAMPLE IN THE COUNTRY, THAN ROEBLING ROAD RACEWAY.

JUST TWO YEARS AGO WE PUT THE ORIGINAL EVORA THROUGH ITS PACES HERE AND FOUND THAT ITS THRILLING TRACK PERFORMANCE COMBINED WITH ITS GENTILE STREET NATURE TO MAKE IT THE MOST COMPLETE LOTUS YET.

THE NEW 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN QUESTION IS TOYOTA'S U660E, BUT WITH LOTUS' OWN SOFTWARE.

THE INTELLIGENT PRECISION SHIFT TRANSMISSION HAS 4-MODES OF OPERATION AND COMES WITH ITS PADDLE SHIFTERS MOUNTED WITH THE STEERING WHEEL RATHER THAN IN A FIXED POSITION ON THE COLUMN.

THERE'S NO TRADITIONAL SHIFTER AT ALL, JUST BUTTONS FOR PARK, NEUTRAL, REVERSE, AND DRIVE.

HOW IT WORKS ON THE TRACK IS FAIRLY SOUND.

NOT SO FINE THAT WE'D PREFER IT OVER THE MANUAL, BUT IN SPORT MODE SHIFTS ARE SUITABLY BRISK, AND IN MANUAL MODE YOU DO HAVE FULL CONTROL AS WELL AS REV-MATCHING ON CORNER ENTRY DOWNSHIFTS.

IT ALSO WORKS WELL IN A STRAIGHT LINE, THOUGH ON A VERY COLD TRACK, WE RECORDED A 0 TO 60 TIME OF 4.6-SECONDS, THAT'S THREE-TENTHS SLOWER THAN THE EVORA S MANUAL.

IT MADE SOME OF THAT UP WITH QUICKER GEAR CHANGES AND IS ONLY TWO-TENTHS SLOWER IN THE QUARTER-MILE AT 13-FLAT AND 106 MILES-PER-HOUR.

THE AUTO DOES ADD SOME WEIGHT, INCHING THE EVORA S CLOSER TO 3,200 POUNDS, BUT YOU WON'T NOTICE IT.

NOTHING CHANGES WHEN IT COMES TO SUSPENSION OR BRAKES, SO THERE'S NOTHING NEW TO ADD TO THE PRAISES WE'VE PREVIOUSLY SUNG ABOUT THE WILLING CHASSIS THAT GIVES YOU A TON OF FEEL AND FUN THROUGH CORNERS OR THE CRAZY LATE BRAKING THAT YOU CAN DO INTO THEM.

NOT THAT ANY CHANGES WERE NEEDED.

A SUPERLIGHT NATURE WITH JUST ENOUGH POWER, MAKES FOR THE PERFECT TRACK EXPERIENCE; AND THE EVORA'S EASY TO MASTER TEMPERAMENT MAKES GETTING UP TO SPEED IN A HURRY NO PROBLEM.

THE EXTERIOR ALSO CARRIES OVER UNCHANGED, WHICH CAN BE A PLUS OR MINUS DEPENDING ON HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE EVORA'S AERODYNAMICALLY SLEEK AND SILKY LOOK.

BUT WE ALL AGREE IT LOOKS MUCH BETTER AT SPEED ON A TRACK THAN SITTING STILL.

OUR TEST CAR'S LASER BLUE PAINT JOB WITH GUNMETAL FINISHED ALLOY WHEELS IS CERTAINLY A GOOD COMBO, WITH THE 19-INCH FRONTS AND 20-INCH REARS, WEARING PIRELLI P-ZERO CORSA TIRES, REPLACING THE STOCK 18/19 COMBO.

THE LARGE, FRONT AIR INTAKE COMBINES WITH HOOD VENTS AND SIDE VENTS TO MANAGE AIRFLOW.

IT'S BY NO MEANS A LARGE VEHICLE, BUT FROM THE REAR IT LOOKS DOWNRIGHT TINY.

IT ALSO APPEARS VERY SERIOUS WITH THE FLOATING WING AND CENTRAL MOUNTED EXHAUST NICELY INTEGRATED.

BRAKE DISCS ARE VENTILATED AND CROSS-DRILLED WITH SLIGHTLY LARGER 13.8-INCH ROTORS UP FRONT.

INSIDE, THE SAME BASIC INTERIOR SHOWCASES LOTUS' BUSINESS FIRST APPROACH WITH TIGHT CONFINES AND RACE INSPIRED GAUGES; BUT WITH OPTIONAL PREMIUM AND TECH PACKAGES, IT OFFERS ENOUGH CREATURE COMFORTS TO MAKE SPORTS CARE SAVVY BUYERS MORE THAN HAPPY.

UNDER THE HOOD, OR RATHER BENEATH THE REAR HATCH, IS THE SAME TOYOTA CAMRY-BASED 3.5-LITER SUPERCHARGED V6 AS BEFORE, CRANKING OUT 345-HORSEPOWER AND 295 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

AND THERE IS A SMALL AMOUNT OF STORAGE SPACE BEHIND IT, THOUGH THINGS TEND DO TO GET PRETTY HEATED BACK THERE.

JUST ONE MORE MOTIVATION TO MAKE THAT TRIP BACK FROM THE GROCERY STORE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.

AWAY FROM THE TRACK, THE EVORA REMAINS A VERY COMFORTABLE CAR TO DRIVE, AND NOW IT'S GOTTEN EASIER TO DEAL WITH SITTING IN TRAFFIC THANKS TO THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

ANOTHER BONUS, FUEL ECONOMY IMPROVES TO 19-CITY, 28-HIGHWAY, AND 22-COMBINED; MAKING THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE 15.0-BARRELS OF OIL CONSUMED PER YEAR WITH CO2 EMISSIONS OF 6.6-TONS.

THE IPS TRANSMISSION IS A $2,850 OPTION ADDED TO THE EVORA S BASE PRICE OF $80,085.

YOU CAN HAVE ALMOST AS MUCH FUN WITHOUT THE SUPERCHARGER IN A BASE EVORA, WHICH BEGINS AT $69,785.

AND YOU CAN SAVE A FEW BUCKS FURTHER BY ELIMINATING THE REAR SEAT.

WELL, AFTER A WEEK OF THOROUGHLY FLOGGING THIS AUTOMATIC EQUIPPED 2013 LOTUS EVORA S ON THE TRACK AND PUTTING IN SOME COMMUTE TIME ON THE STREETS, WE FEEL THIS NEW PERSONALITY FITS RIGHT IN AND MAKES THE ALREADY MOST COMPLETE LOTUS EVER EVEN MORE COMPLETE.

HENRY FORD REVOLUTIONIZED CAR BUILDING WITH THE ASSEMBLY LINE.

THE IDEA OF MOVING THE CARS PAST STATIONARY WORKERS WAS RADICAL, BUT IT QUICKLY BECAME THE NORM BY BOOSTING OUTPUT QUALITY, YET LOWERING PRICES.

NOW, WORKING ON AN ASSEMBLY LINE SOUNDS A LOT LIKE A SWEAT SHOP.

BUT, AS OUR OVER THE EDGE GUY STEVEN CHUPNICK FOUND, AT NORTH AMERICA'S NEWEST AUTO ASSEMBLY PLANT, NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.

Steven: DAY AFTER DAY, YEAR AFTER YEAR, CARS AND TRUCKS ROLL OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE.

BUT AT VOLKSWAGEN'S CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE ASSEMBLY PLANT, THE PASSATS COMING DOWN HAVE A LITTLE EXTRA SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TRAVELING ALONG WITH THEM.

THESE 180,000 CARS A YEAR ARE MADE IN THE ONLY FACTORY IN THE WORLD WITH THE PLATINUM LEED CERTIFICATION NEXT TO ITS NAME.

ONLY AFTER A YEAR OF BEING OPEN, THE PLANT RECEIVED ONE OF THE HIGHEST HONORS IT COULD GET.

LEED - AN ACRONYM FOR LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN DEVELOPED BY THE U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL.

THAT MEANS IT'S DESIGNED TO LOWER OPERATING COSTS, REDUCE WASTE, CONSERVE ENERGY AND WATER, ALL WHILE PROVIDING A HEALTHIER AND SAFER WORKPLACE.

Ron Drumeller: RECYCLED GLASS TILES THROUGHOUT THE FLOOR IN THE PLANT.

THERE IS A WHITE MEMBRANE ON THE ROOF THAT REDUCES THE HEAT OUT IN EFFECT.

ALSO ON THE ROOF, WE HAVE STORM WATER COLLECTION, WHICH IS WATER HARVESTING.

Steven: AND HERE'S SOMETHING THAT MAKES CHATTANOOGA UNIQUE... A THREE-STORY ROBOTIC PAINT SHOP!

WHAT, YOU DON'T WEAR SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO WORK EVERY DAY?

NO, JUST KIDDING.

BUT THE GUYS AND GALS WHO WORK HERE AT THE PAINT SHOP MUST WEAR SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO KEEP THE DUST OUT OF THE AREA, OUT OF THE CARS.

Ron: THE GREEN PAINT SHOP IS THE MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED PAINT SHOP IN THE WORLD, USING CRUSHED DRY LIMESTONE POWDER FOR THE PAINT SEPARATION INSTEAD OF THE CONVENTIONAL WET PAINT SEPARATION.

WE SAVE 50,000 GALLONS A DAY.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE A DRY POWDER THAT CAN BE RECYCLED.

Steven: AND NOT ONLY IS THE PLANT GOOD FOR VW WORKERS; IT'S GOOD FOR THE CITY OF CHATTANOOGA.

Hilary Hodgkins: WHEN THEY ANNOUNCED THAT VOLKSWAGEN HAD CHOSEN CHATTANOOGA, EVERYBODY WAS THRILLED.

WE HAVE TWO NEW RIVER PARKS HERE.

THINGS HAVE JUST REALLY BLOSSOMED IN TERMS OF...

THERE'S NEW MAGNET SCHOOLS.

I THINK THERE'S BEEN A REAL EMPHASIS NOW.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE CHATTANOOGA HAS BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL CITY.

Steven: BUT, COMING TO AN AREA WITHOUT A CAR BUILDING HERITAGE WAS A CHALLENGE FOR VW.

ASSEMBLY WORKERS HAD TO BE TRAINED FROM THE GROUND UP.

THAT STARTS AT THE VOLKSWAGEN ACADEMY.

Noland Mikens: FOR EVERY TEAM MEMBER, AFTER THEY GO THROUGH THREE WEEKS OF TRAINING UP AT VOLKSWAGEN ACADEMY, THEY COME DOWN TO THE 'PROFY ROOM,' WHICH IS SHORT FOR PROFESSIONAL ROOM.

WE DO AN INTENSE, VERY FOCUSED TRAINING FOR THEM ON THEIR PARTICULAR PROCESS.

Steven: SO WHAT'S THE ACADEMY ACTUALLY LIKE?

THERE ARE 5 DIFFERENT PODS IN 5 DIFFERENT AREAS; FROM BASIC PARTS, AUTOMATION, DIAGNOSTICS, TO ADVANCED TRAINING OF FULLY BUILDING A CAR.

AND AS FOR MOVING PARTS QUICKLY, I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE FUN TO CHECK OUT HOW TO MANEUVER THEIR KART SYSTEM.

NOW, THAT'S SOME FUN STUFF.

BUT VOLKSWAGEN TAKES BUILDING QUALITY VERY SERIOUSLY - AN EXTENSIVE VEHICLE AUDIT IS COMPLETED ON TWO CARS EACH DAY TO UNDERCOVER THE SMALLEST FLAWS.

Man: HOW IT SMELLS, HOW IT FEELS, HOW IT LOOKS.

Steven: THEY USE THE SAME DETAIL CHECKLIST FOR ALL OF VW'S FAMILY OF BRANDS.

Man: IF YOU WANT TO, YOU CAN FEEL THE SAME THING I'M FEELING, PRIMARILY WITH YOUR FINGER.

Steven: AND THAT BRANDING... WHAT DID WE TOUR THE PLANT WITH?

A PASSAT-DESIGNED TRAM.

NOW, THAT'S WHAT I CALL TRAVELING IN STYLE.

VOLKSWAGEN'S CHATTANOOGA SITE IS A MODEL FOR THE FUTURE OF AUTOMOTIVE ASSEMBLY... BUILDING BETTER CARS, BETTER EMPLOYEES, AND BETTER COMMUNITIES.

SO THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE A NEW VW PASSAT COMING DOWN THE ROAD, MAKE SURE YOU ADD A LITTLE THANKS TO YOUR GUTEN TAG.

John: THE OLD SAYING "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR" IS A HANDY CAVEAT.

AND AS OUR PAT GOSS EXPLAINS, IT CAN EVEN APPLY AT THE PUMP.

Pat Goss: THE PRICE OF GASOLINE IS HURTING EVERYONE.

AND CERTAINLY IF WE COULD GO BACK TO THE PRICE WE SEE ON THIS ANTIQUE GAS PUMP, IT WOULD HELP EVERYONE.

BUT IT ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN.

AND THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO SHOP FOR A DECENT PRICE ON GAS.

BUT YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, YOU HAVE TO TRY TO AVOID VERY LOW VOLUME STATIONS.

YOU SEE, GASOLINE, WHEN IT'S KEPT IN STORAGE, EVAPORATES.

BUT THE ADDITIVES IN THAT GASOLINE DON'T.

SO IF IT'S IN STORAGE FOR TOO LONG A PERIOD OF TIME, YOU MAY HAVE AN IMBALANCE IN THE ADDITIVES TO THE AMOUNT OF GASOLINE.

NOT THAT IT'S GOING TO DESTROY YOUR CAR OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT YOU MAY HAVE SOME SIDE-EFFECTS THAT COULD COST YOU A LOT OF MONEY.

NUMBER ONE IS THAT YOU MAY, PERIODICALLY, HAVE A SITUATION WHERE YOU GET A STRONG, ROTTEN EGG ODOR FROM THE EXHAUST ON YOUR CAR.

NOW, THAT COULD BE FROM TOO MUCH SULFUR IN THE GASOLINE.

THE SULFUR COLLECTS IN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND WHEN YOU ACCELERATE, IT'S EMITTED IN ONE CLOUD, AND YOU SMELL IT.

AND BELIEVE ME, IT STINKS.

SO YOU TAKE YOUR CAR TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THE TECHNICIAN SAYS, "OH, YOU NEED A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER.

THAT'LL BE BLANK-ETY BLANK HUNDRED DOLLARS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH."

WELL, DON'T DO IT.

YOU SEE, THE REALITY IS, THERE MAY BE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, IT MAY JUST BE THE GAS YOU'RE USING.

SO TRY SEVERAL TANKS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF GASOLINE, DIFFERENT BRANDS.

SEE IF THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY.

AND IF IT DOES, HEY YOU'VE JUST SAVED A BUNCH OF MONEY.

THE OTHER THING IS, THAT TOO MUCH SULFUR CAN REACT WITH THE SENDING UNIT IN THE TANK THAT OPERATES THE FUEL GAUGE ON THE DASH.

NOW, HERE WE HAVE A TYPICAL TANK UNIT.

HERE'S THE FLOAT, THAT GOES UP AND DOWN WITH THE LEVEL OF THE FUEL.

AND OVER HERE, ON THE OTHER END OF IT, WE HAVE A VARIABLE RESISTOR.

THAT VARIES THE AMOUNT OF VOLTAGE GOING BACK TO THE UNIT IN THE DASH, AND THAT'S WHAT CONTROLS THE MOVEMENT OF THE DASH GAUGE.

WELL, A LOT OF THESE ARE MADE OF SILVER.

WHEN WE GET TOO MUCH SULFUR IN THE FUEL, THE SILVER REACTS WITH THE SULFUR AND WE GET AN OXIDE THAT CAUSES PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL GAUGE.

IT MAY BECOME ERRATIC, SWINGING BACK AND FORTH, IT MAY BE FULL ALL THE TIME, OR EMPTY ALL THE TIME.

WELL, IN A LOT OF CASES, THAT MEANS THAT YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE TANK UNIT.

WHICH CAN BE SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS.

BUT, WE'VE FOUND A COUPLE OF PRODUCTS, LIKE THIS BG44K, THAT HAS DONE A GOOD JOB OF CLEANING AWAY THAT OXIDE AND RESTORING THE FUNCTION OF THE FUEL GAUGE.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO TRY A CHEMICAL TO TREAT THE SYSTEM FIRST BECAUSE IT COULD SAVE YOU SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS.

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

John: JUST ABOUT EVERYONE NOTICES US ZIPPING AROUND IN OUR ELECTROLYTE GREEN 2012 HYUNDAI ACCENT.

THIS SE TRIMMED 5-DOOR SUBCOMPACT IS OUR FAVORITE CAR FOR COMMUTING OR AIRPORT RUNS BECAUSE IT IS IN ONE FUEL EFFICIENT, VERSATILE, AND ENJOYABLE TO DRIVE.

NO WONDER IT AND KIN KIA RIO MADE OUR DRIVERS' CHOICE LIST TWO YEARS IN A ROW.

AFTER 11 MONTHS, OUR ACCENT IS AVERAGING 31.7 MPG OF REGULAR, DOWN A BIT DUE TO COLD WEATHER IDLING, WHILE CONTINUING TO SHOW SURPRISING PEP FROM ITS 1.6-LITER I4 AUTOMATIC DRIVETRAIN.

THE ONLY CHANGE WE'VE NOTICED IN 12,500 MILES IS THE ENGINE SOUNDS A LITTLE NOISIER THEN WHEN NEW.

THE ACCENT IS IMPRESSIVELY COMFORTABLE FOR ITS SIZE, AND THE QUALITY LOOK TO THE FABRICS HAS DIMMED LITTLE OVER TIME.

THE STEREO ALSO SOUNDS GREAT, PUTTING A FINAL POSITIVE ACCENT ON A GREAT LITTLE CAR.

GETTING BETTER FUEL ECONOMY WITHOUT RESORTING TO HYBRIDS OR ALT-FUELS IS THE GOAL BEHIND MAZDA'S SKYACTIV CONCEPT.

THROUGH THE USE OF HIGH COMPRESSION AND GEARING, IT BOOSTS FUEL ECONOMY ABOUT 10 TO 15% OVER SIMILAR SIZED RIVALS.

OUR 2013 CX-5 COMPACT CROSSOVER, THE FIRST MODEL TO FULLY EMBRACE SKYACTIV, IS AVERAGING AN EXCELLENT 27.2 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR.

AFTER NINE MONTHS AND OVER 14,000 MILES, WE'VE GOTTEN USE TO ITS LESS THAN JACK RABBIT ACCELERATION MADE UP FOR BY VERY ECONOMICAL LONG DISTANCE CRUISING.

AND TRUE TO MAZDA'S MANTRA, IT'S A PLEASURE TO DRIVE.

TWO ANNOYANCES: THE DRIVER'S SEAT SEEMS TO WIGGLE LIKE SOMETHING IS COMING LOOSE.

AND THE BRAKES ARE SOMETIMES QUITE NOISY.

BUT OTHERWISE, WE ARE ACTIVELY IMPRESSED WITH OUR SKYACTIV MAZDA CX-5.

SPEAKING OF COMPACT CROSSOVERS, WE'LL CHECK-IN WITH THE BENCHMARK HONDA CR-V ON OUR NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE.

TIME NOW TO CHECK UP ON THE LATEST MOTORNEWS, SO LET'S HEAD INSIDE WHERE YOLANDA VAZQUEZ HAS THE SCOOP.

Yolanda: 2013 LOOKS TO BRING A WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF CONNECTIVITY TO THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD, AS BOTH CARS AND THEIR DRIVERS SEEK TO STAY ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY.

AND PERHAPS THE MOST ADVANCED COMES FROM VOLVO, WHO HAS PARTNERED WITH ERICSSON TO CREATE THE ULTIMATE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM.

DUBBED THE CONNECTED VEHICLE CLOUD, ERICSSON'S CLOUD BASED STORAGE SERVICE OFFERS NEW LEVELS OF CONNECTIVITY WITH STREAMING ENTERTAINMENT APPS, VEHICLE STATUS, AND SERVICE BOOKING DOWNLOADABLE BETWEEN VARIOUS DEVICES, INCLUDING THE IN-CAR INFO SCREEN.

NO WORD ON WHICH MODELS WILL INITIATE THIS SERVICE, BUT VOLVO CLAIMS THEY WILL BEGIN PREPPING THE TECHNOLOGY FOR CONSUMER USE SOON.

MORE CERTAIN IS KIA'S UVO INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM, NOW IN ITS SECOND GENERATION.

DEBUTING IN THE 2014 SORENTO, A NEW "ESERVICES" SUITE PROVIDES NAVIGATION FUNCTIONS THROUGH GOOGLE MAPS AND GOOGLE PLACES, AS WELL AS THE PARKING MINDER VEHICLE LOCATION SERVICE, AND CAR CARE WEB DIAGNOSTICS INFORMATION.

ALL ARE ACCESSIBLE THROUGH A FREE SMARTPHONE APP WHICH ALLOWS USERS TO SEND ROUTE DESTINATIONS, SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE, AND LOCATE THEIR VEHICLES FROM THEIR iPHONE OR ANDROID DEVICES.

AND LASTLY, CHEVY'S MYLINK SYSTEM WILL SEE SOME WELCOMED UPGRADES.

AVAILABLE LATER THIS YEAR WILL BE FULL INTEGRATION WITH SIRI, THE iPHONE'S VOICE-ACTIVATED ASSISTANCE SOFTWARE, WITH AN "EYES FREE MODE" THAT CAN ACCESS THE MUSIC LIBRARY, CONTACTS, CALENDAR, AND MESSAGES OF COMPATIBLE iPHONES.

AND BRINGGO, THE SMARTPHONE NAVIGATION APP ANNOUNCED LAST YEAR, WILL FINALLY HIT THE VIRTUAL SHELVES, ALLOWING 3D MAPS, GOOGLE SEARCH, LIVE TRAFFIC REPORTS, AND DOWNLOADABLE ROUTES TO BE SENT TO THE VEHICLE THOROUGH MOBILE DEVICES, ALL FOR A ONE-TIME PURCHASE FEE OF ABOUT $50.

AND THAT'S THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY UPDATE FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

John: BACK BEFORE EUROPEAN LUXURY CARMAKERS GOT INTO SUVS, THEY MADE SLIGHTLY BEEFED UP ALL-WHEEL DRIVE WAGONS.

VOLVO HAD THE CROSS COUNTRY, BMW VARIOUS SPORTS WAGONS, AND AUDI, THE A6 AVANT-BASED ALLROAD.

BUT AFTER GOING FULL BORE INTO SUVs, AUDI, FOR ONE, FELT THE ALLROAD WAS NO LONGER NEEDED.

TURNS OUT AUDI FAITHFUL DISAGREE.

SO ITS BACK, AS 2013 MARKS THE RETURN OF THE ALLROAD.

SO, LET'S SEE IF ALL ROADS LEAD TO SUCCESS FOR AUDI AGAIN.

THE 2013 AUDI ALLROAD MAKES ITS RETURN TO THE "STATES" ON A SLIGHTLY SMALLER SCALE, HOWEVER, AS THE ONE NOW ARRIVING HERE IS BASED ON AUDI'S COMPACT A4 RATHER THAN THE MID-SIZE A6.

WE LIKE THE PURPOSEFUL LOOK OF THE 2-TONE EXTERIOR WITH ITS MIX OF DARK AND LIGHT.

THE AGGRESSIVE AUDI FRONT-END ALSO WORKS WELL HERE.

STANDARD HEADLIGHTS ARE HALOGENS, BUT XENON PLUS WITH AN UPDATED TAKE ON AUDI'S SIGNATURE LED DRLs ARE OPTIONAL.

ALSO STANDARD ARE ALUMINUM ROOF RAILS, STAINLESS STEEL SKID PLATES FOR THE FRONT AND REAR, AND A PANORAMIC SUNROOF.

THE REAR END SLOPES DOWN NICELY, AND THE WHOLE PACKAGE MAKES FOR ONE SPORTY LOOKING WAGON.

DESPITE ITS SHORTER LENGTH, THE NEW ALLROAD ACTUALLY HAS ALMOST 2 INCHES MORE WHEELBASE THAN ITS PREDECESSOR AT 110.4 INCHES.

GROUND CLEARANCE IS NOW FIXED AT 7.1 INCHES.

GONE IS THE ADJUSTABLE SUSPENSION.

STILL, AUDI MAKES NO OFF-ROAD CLAIMS FOR THE NEW ALLROAD.

STANDARD RIMS ARE 18s, WITH 19s IN SUMMER RUBBER AVAILABLE.

THE LONGER WHEELBASE ALLOWED AUDI TO MAINTAIN FRONT LEGROOM ALTHOUGH REAR BODIES SUFFER A BIT.

STILL, THE CABIN FEELS ROOMY ENOUGH FOR LONG TRIPS FOR FOUR.

OTHER THAN A FEW QUIRKS, LIKE THE HARD TO FIND TILT/TELESCOPING STEERING WHEEL CONTROL, WE HAVE NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE STUNNING INTERIOR DESIGN.

AS FOR LUGGAGE ROOM, BEHIND THE REAR SEATS THERE'S 27.6 CUBIC-FEET OF SPACE, 50.5 WHEN THOSE SEATS ARE FOLDED.

BOTH NUMBERS DOWN CONSIDERABLY COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS ALLROAD.

A POWER LIFTGATE COMES WITH THE PREMIUM PLUS TRIM.

BUT THE SMALLER SIZE MAKES FOR MUCH BETTER GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS OF 20-CITY, 27-HIGHWAY, AND 23-COMBINED.

A HIGHWAY-HEAVY DRIVE NETTED US A GOOD AVERAGE OF 26.6 MILES PER GALLON OF PREMIUM.

STILL, THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE IS JUST BARELY BETTER THAN AVERAGE FOR ALL VEHICLES AT 14.3 BARRELS OF ANNUAL OIL CONSUMPTION WITH YEARLY CO2 EMISSIONS OF 6.5 TONS.

ON THE ROAD, THE ALLROAD DRIVES VERY NEUTRAL.

LIKE MOST RECENT AUDIS, THERE IS A HEFT TO IT... AS IN NAILED TO THE GROUND.

BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT IN A WAGON.

VISIBILITY IS NOT THE GREATEST, ESPECIALLY AT THE REAR WHEN YOU HAVE THE CARGO COVER FOLDED UP.

A SIMPLER ROLL-UP ARRANGEMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER.

HITTING THE TRACK, THE ALLROAD IS VERY RESPONSIVE, FEELING FAR MORE CONNECTED THAN YOU EXPECT FROM ANY WAGON.

IT'S EASY TO POINT AND SHOOT WITH A GOOD, SOLID FEEL.

STEERING IS BRISK AND LIGHT, WITH A GOOD BALANCE OF FEEDBACK AND COMFORT.

BODY ROLL IS HELD IN CHECK, AS IS THE TOP HEAVY FEEL THAT ACCOMPANIES MOST TALLER VEHICLES.

PROVIDING THE POWER IS THE SAME 2.0-LITER TURBO-4 FOUND IN THE A4 WITH 211-HORSEPOWER AND A VIGOROUS 258 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

BUT WITH THE STANDARD QUATTRO ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM YOU DO TRADE THE CVT FOR A FINE 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WITH TIPTRONIC SHIFT.

OFF-LINE POWER IS CERTAINLY ADEQUATE, BUT NOT MUCH MORE.

ACCELERATION IS LACKLUSTER WITH A 0 TO 60 TIME OF 7.7-SECONDS.

THE FULL QUARTER MILE PASSED IN 16-SECONDS AT 90 MILES-PER-HOUR.

SHIFTS WERE SURPRISINGLY SLOW AS WELL.

BRAKES ARE 4-WHEEL DISCS, VENTILATED IN THE FRONT, AND DID MUCH BETTER, WITH A SHORT 111-FOOT STOPPING AVERAGE AND MINIMAL FADE.

WHEN IT COMES TO PRICING, WE'RE REMINDED WHY ALL-WHEEL DRIVE LUXURY STATION WAGONS