2010 Kia XK coupe - two door Spectra/Forte coupe

[Ovaltine]

2010 Kia XK coupe - two door Spectra/Forte coupe

Supposedly the next-gen Spectra will provide an optional Hyundai 2.4L I4 "World" engine, which will boost the HP for this car.

 

Articles:

http://carspyshots.net/showthread.php?t=16855

 

http://thecarblogger.blogspot.com/2009/02/...orte-coupe.html

 

Check out the purported accurate photoshop clean-up version here:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D52XcATHzos/SYvW.../forte-koup.jpg

 

 

Mule:

 

 

 

-Ovaltine

Edited February 8, 2009 by Ovaltine

[Pioneer]

The "world" engine is the same one that is currently in Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles.

 

If I was Hyundai, I wouldn't advertise that fact. It is noisy and not fuel efficient.

[Ovaltine]

The "world" engine is the same one that is currently in Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles.

 

If I was Hyundai, I wouldn't advertise that fact. It is noisy and not fuel efficient.

 

Each manufacturer has their own "flavor" (tweakings) of the base design. It looks like Hyundai's is the best of the lot. Supposedly Kia Optima's with this motor pull over 30 mpg highway easily, with upper mid 20's during everyday driving. I test drove an Optima last May before buying our Jeep Compass, and I will say that the drivetrain in the Optima appeared more refined, both in noise and smoothness.

 

 

http://www.allpar.com/mopar/world-engine.html

 

Excerpt:

 

The "world engines" replaced the "Neon" 2.0 and 2.4 liter four cylinder engines starting in 2006. They boasted advanced technologies including dual variable valve timing and a flow-control valve intake manifold. The basic engines were designed jointly by Chrysler, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai, and are made and used by all three - in different configurations.

Reviewers generally praised the Hyundai version more than the Mitsu, and the Chrysler version, being tuned for peak paper power, comes in last - except when turbocharged. The World Engine is criticized for being rough and noisy, and making poor power at lower engine speeds, but it was reportedly cheaper to build than the old 2.0 / 2.4 liter engines.

 

* END *

 

As you point out though, the ChryCo version has it's perceived faults. I have one of these in my '08 Compass, and I can see where the root of the criticism's come from. I definitely can hear some timing chain whir (over my Specta's timing belt... but belts have their $$$ replacement downside too), and the fuel mileage is okay but not "stellar". With my wife driving around town, the Compass gets about 20 mpg in the winter and about 22-23 during the summer. Highway mpg can be almost 25 mpg (even in the winter) when the speeds are kept down, as they were a bad weather trip we took recently.

 

I will say that the engine has started well this very cold winter, and generates great interior heat pretty quickly.

 

If there's an upside to this motor, it does seem to be able to create some decent HP numbers without initially having to go "turbo". The HP numbers on these motors are rapidly approaching 200 HP in normally aspirated form. Even my 172HP Compass can "scoot" along from a dead stop pretty well if I drop the CVT down into Auto-stick mode, and put the pedal to the floor.

 

In any case, technology has done wonders with nearly ALL 4 cylinder product offerings out there these days. We're a far cry from my days as a passenger where my friend attempts to white-knuckle a '75 Mustang II 2.3L (coupe to add insult to injury) past a slow moving car on a narrow country road in SE Michigan! There was MANY a time he had to give up the attempt and quickly swing back to the right before we nailed someone head on! :lol:

 

Heck... even my '83 Escort GL (with the 1.6L "H.O" 90 HP) 5-speed felt like a race car compared to that old Mustang II!

 

-Ovaltine

Edited February 8, 2009 by Ovaltine