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Mazda CX-30 Premium Plus Offers Upmarket Experience Without The Cost

1-29-24 Featured Vehicle

It’s not just because the exterior paint on our 2024 Mazda CX-30 Premium Plus test car is called Soul Red Crystal Metallic that we sing the praises of this spirited little charmer of a crossover. This is the kind of vehicle that you get in and drive without needing to refer to an illustrated manual. Basically, the way everything is laid out makes accessing the technology intuitive and easy. But don’t let the simplicity fool you. There’s a lot more here than you might think.

CX-30 Premium Plus Photo Gallery

The fun really begins as soon as you start the car. The zesty 2.5-liter turbocharged engine makes 227 horsepower when fueled with regular grade gasoline or 250 horsepower with premium fuel. It seems a bit of a throwback to pair this engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission but the electronically controlled mapping that Mazda engineers devised is well matched to the vehicle’s dynamic capability and weight.

With its crisp handling, the 3,527-pound crossover maneuvers like a tiny dancer making the drive a delight. Wall to wall turning diameter is just 37.3 feet.

Having all-wheel drive is a bonus that drivers here in New England will totally appreciate year-round but especially during winter months when on any given day the weather can turn from spring-like fun in the sun in the morning to dreary freezing rain and snow for the evening commute.

Mazda CX-30 Premium Plus Features As Driven

Advanced Safety features include:

Cruising and Traffic Support
Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go
Blind Spot Monitoring
Lane Departure Warning System
Lane-keep Assist
High Beam Control
Driver Attention Alert
Rear View Monitor
Rear seat alert
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Adaptive Front-lighting System
Traffic Sign Recognition
360° View Monitor

There’s ***lots of safety tech*** **and** ***comfortable*** ***seating for five inside the ***CX-30***.***

In addition to all its performance attributes and safety technologies, the CX-30 comes loaded with a bounty of convenience features including:

Advanced Keyless Entry System
Push Button Start
Electronic parking brake
Dual-zone automatic climate control system
Frameless auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink^®
Paddle shifters
Leather-trimmed sport seats
Leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear selector
8-way power driver’s seat with power lumbar support and 2-position memory
Heated front seats
Heated steering wheel
10.25-inch center display
Infotainment system voice command
Multifunction Commander control
HD Radio™
Pandora^® internet radio integration
Radio Broadcast Data System program information
SMS text message audio delivery and reply
Mazda Connected Services (3-year trial)
Navigation System
Bose^® 12-speaker premium audio system
Bluetooth®¹⁴ hands-free phone and audio streaming capability
Dual Type-C USB audio inputs
Wireless Apple CarPlay™ integration
Wireless Android Auto™ integration
Wireless phone charger
SiriusXM^® Satellite Radio with 3-month trial subscription
SiriusXM^® 3-year Traffic and Travel Link subscription
Windshield-projected full-color Active Driving Display
Cargo area light

So when it comes to having soul, the CX_30 has plenty, and it won’t cost you a devil’s bargain to own. The price tag for our CX-30 Premium Plus test vehicle came to $38,905 including options and destination charge.

RPM News Weekly Photos by Rich Taber

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BMW Z4 sDrive30i

10-05-23 Featured Vehicle

Nothing speaks the language of summer like a convertible. But that doesn’t mean it has to be summer to enjoy the open air experience of a drop top. Case in point, the beautiful October day that we had with the 2023 BMW Z4 sDrive30i.

Ordinarily, with a car like this, the performance would be the first thing to rave about. After all, with 255 horsepower coming from its direct-injected 2-liter TwinPower Turbo, and 295 lb-ft of torque working its way through the rear drive powertrain, this two seater has no trouble impressing you and a companion into its plush red seat backs. Then there’s the variable sport steering bolstered by an optional M Sport Dynamic Handling Package with adaptive suspension, sport differential and blue caliper attired sport brakes turning every bend and bump in the road into a driver’s delight.

That being said, we would prefer to immerse you in the sensuous allure and relaxed gracefulness of the Z4. Here are a few photos of this beauty. We encourage you to plan a test drive.

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RPM News Weekly Photos by Rich Taber

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2023 Dodge Charger Scat Pack Swinger SE

7-27-23 Photo Feature

Sublime confidence takes no seductive shortcuts in the 2023 Dodge Charger Swinger Special Edition. It’s all right there in your hands and in everything you feel behind the wheel as this magnificent 485 horsepower quintessential work of modern industrial art envelops mind and body in the low, rumbling murmur of its 6.4-liter HEMI V8 heart.

Only 1000 of these will ever make transport out of the Brampton Ontario Canada factory where they are being assembled. After that, they are gone. The commemorative badge under the hood tells you that this is indeed the “Last Call” for Chargers. In this, the final year of production for both the Charger and its Challenger sibling, Dodge is unleashing a collectors treasure chest of seven limited edition series variants of which the Charger Swinger is number four.

How fitting for the automaker to take a page from its muscle car history book and revive the Swinger moniker for this special edition. As one might expect, Dodge didn’t stop there. While reaching back for the name, they also brought forth retro exterior and interior design elements including the classic F8 Green exterior color (as shown) and other retro colors, as well as green interior accent stitching and a Swinger dashboard badge.

It’s not just retro, though. There are more ways to gauge performance in this car than ever were offered in the original Swinger’s heyday, and with the Scat Pack Widebody Package components, (such as a flat bottom steering wheel, competition suspension, Brembo 6-piston fixed front caliper brakes, and body color fender flares, which beef up the vehicle’s width by 3.5 inches) capability and appearance coalesce.

Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand chief executive officer at Stellantis summed it up with this, “Dodge Swinger models have always held a unique spot in the Dodge muscle-car pantheon, and these modern-day models bring that fun back to life.”

RPM News Weekly had the opportunity to enjoy some of that fun during a week-long test drive of the Charger Scat Pack Swinger. Here are a few photos we took along the way.

RPM News Weekly Photos by Rich Taber

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Kia EV6 Charges Onto The All-Electric Landscape

10-03-22 Featured Vehicle

The Kia EV6 brings the brand’s first all-electric vehicle built on a dedicated EV platform to the SUV marketplace. The clean sheet design of the EV6 features a low-mounted battery pack, the benefits of which include a lower center of gravity and increased interior space.

***Stylish, powerful and quick to charge, the EV6 provides as much as 310 miles of range.***

When it comes to range, even the base Light trim offers up to 232 miles on a full charge, as does the EV6 Wind RWD featured here, while the top-tier rear-wheel-drive equipped GT-Line goes up to 310 miles. The EV6 features an 800-volt multi-charging architecture that enables ultra-fast DC fast charging, which as we confirmed during our testing can add over 200 miles of range in the time that it takes you to walk from the charger to the mall men’s room and back. A 240-volt home charger can charge up the EV6 in just under 6 hours, which is plenty for the average American driver. The EV6 also offers Vehicle-to-Load capability, which provides up to 1900 watts of power for electrical appliances, power tools, or other electronics.

***The roomy interior of the EV6 seats five passengers, comes with plenty of tech and offers loads of cargo space.***

The EV6 has received a multitude of props from reviewers for its nimble, dynamic handling. The upcoming launch of a 576-horsepower EV6 GT edition is expected to revolutionize the ‘hot hatch’ segment.

On top of all its performance attributes, the EV6 comes loaded with a bounty of tech features including a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster display and a 12.3-inch navigation display with natural voice recognition, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Kia’s Drive Wise suite of safety technologies includes standard Forward Collision-Avoidance, Blind-spot Monitoring, and Lane Keep Assist among its many driver assist features.

Beyond the futuristic styling, when you factor in the abundant standard technology features with the all-electric performance, the EV6 delivers a lot of car for its $41,400 base price.

RPM News Weekly Photos by Rich Taber

EV6 LIGHT RWD – STANDARD FEATURES

MECHANICAL

58.0 kWh Lithium Ion Battery / 232mi All-Electric Range
125 kW Electric Motor (167hp w/ 258 lb-ft Torque)
Ultra-Fast DC Charging (800V)
Electronic Parking Brake w/ Auto Hold

KIA DRIVEWISE DRIVER-ASSIST TECHNOLOGY

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist – Cyclist/Jct Turning
Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist
Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist
Lane Keeping Assist & Lane Following Assist
Parking Distance Warning – Reverse
Safe Exit Assist & Highway Driving Assist

SAFETY

Dual Front Advanced Airbags & Driver’s Knee Airbag
Dual Front Seat-Mounted Side & Full-Length Curtain Airbags

INTERIOR, COMFORT & CONVENIENCE

Dual Panoramic 12.3″ Displays w/ Navigation
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
Kia Connect (f/k/a UVO) w/ free trial. Where available.
SiriusXM w/ Free 3-Mo. Subscription
Navigation-Based Smart Cruise Control w/Stop & Go
Smart Key w/ Push Button & Remote Start
Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control w/ Rear Vents
Wireless Phone Charger
Combination Recycled Fabric / Vegan Leather Seat Material
Heated Front Seats
Power Adj. Driver’s Seat w/ Power Lumbar Support
Rear Occupant Alert

EXTERIOR

19″ Alloy Wheels w/ Dark Gray Finish
LED Headlamps w/ Auto Light Control
Rear Privacy Glass and Rear Spoiler
Power Folding Heated Outside Mirrors w/ Turn Signals

WARRANTY

10 Year/100,000 Mile Limited Powertrain Warranty
10 Year/100,000 Mile Limited Battery Warranty
5 Year/60,000 Mile Limited Basic Warranty
5 Year/60,000 Mile Roadside Assistance

Compare EV6 Wind RWD Features

Added to / in place of LIGHT RWD Standard Features

As in Featured Vehicle Photos

77.4 kWh Lithium Ion Battery
310mi All-Electric Range
168 kW Electric Motor (225hp w/ 258 lb-ft Torque)
On-Board Power Generator (V2L)
19″ Alloy Wheels w/ Black Finish
Gloss Black Exterior Accents
Ventilated Front Seats
Vegan Leather Seating Material
Power Front Passenger’s Seat w/ Lumbar Support
Meridian Premium Audio System
Smart Power Tailgate
Parking Distance Warning-Forward/Reverse
Towing Package Pre-Wiring

ADDITIONAL INSTALLED EQUIPMENT:

In addition to or in place of standard features

Glacier Paint

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2021 Mazda3 2.5 Turbo AWD Sedan

9-16-21 Featured Vehicle

With a ride that feels confident, steering that’s tight and performance that’s rousing enough to question its $32K compact sedan pricing, the all-new, all-wheel drive 2.5-liter turbocharged Mazda3 with Premium Plus Package advances the award-winning legacy of its predecessors.