Forget everything you knew about theKia Sorento—if you knew anything at all.

The former body-on-frame SUV hasbeen reinvented in its second generation asa far more relevant, if slightly less macho,crossover.

“Everything is new except for theSorento name,” says Sorento product strat-egy manager Steve Hirashiki.

As a crossover, the Sorento ditches theoutgoing model’s truck-based and stifflysprung ladder frame in favor of a muchmore rigid, more compliant unibody.

Seven-passenger seating is newly avail-able. Sorento is no longer an inexpensivebut less-than-ideally packaged relic butrather is closer to the sort of SUV thatyoung, family-driven customers are lookingfor.

The new Sorento has a quiet, shake-freeride quality and a lack of wind noise.

The engine choices seem right for thetimes. The four-cylinder is nearly silent inoperation off-throttle and remains smoothand vibration-free all the way to the redline.

Far more important to the Sorento buyer,we believe, is the ability to carry people andthings in comfort without breaking thebank. Kia’s penchant for cramming a lot offeatures into a vehicle is demonstrated art-

fully in thiscrossover. TheSorento will beoffered inbase, LX, andEX forms, allof which getniceties suchas a tilting-and-telescop-ing steeringwheel, USB

and aux inputs, Bluetooth connectivity,steering-wheel audio controls, and a fullraft of safety equipment.

EX versions add keyless ignition, rearparking assist, dual-zone climate control,and a list of luxury-grade options includingnavigation with real-time traffic updates, a10-speaker Infinity audio system, leatherseats, and, for V-6 models, a two-row sun-roof.

Optional on four-cylinder models andstandard with the V-6, third-row seats arebest suited for those with the occasionalneed to pile an extra two kids into the carwhen carpool duty comes around. Value Isthe New Cool

All told, Kia has created a comfortableand quiet crossover out of the Sorento.

GMC’s 2011 Terrain isdesigned for drivers look-ing for a smaller crossoverSUV with an affordableprice tag. Introduced in2010, the 2011 model isbasically unchanged withseating for up to five peo-ple.

The GMC 2011 Terrain isavailable with two engineoptions – a 2.4 liter, fourcylinder engine, and a 3liter DOHC six cylinderoption. Both engines usedirect injection and a sixspeed automatic transmis-sion.

The I-4 is rated at 182horsepower, while the V6provides 264 hp. Fuel econ-omy for the I-4 is 22 mpg inthe city, and 32 mpg on thehighway. The starting man-ufacturer’s suggested retailprice for the four cylinderversion is an attractive$24,995.

The Terrain safety fea-tures include antilockbrakes, OnStar, stabilitycontrol, front side airbags,side curtain airbags.

There are optional rearparking sensors. It has reg-ular suspension tuningwith struts in the front andmultilink suspension in theback

The Terrain is coveredby a three-year/36,000 milebasic warranty; five-year/100,000 mile power-train warranty and roadsideassistance; six-year/

100,000 mile corrosionwarranty

If truck styling is moreappealing, you will proba-bly prefer the look of thisvehicle. Standard featureson the base SLE-1 triminclude heated side mir-rors, and probably 17-inchwheels. Higher level trimsand options include fea-tures like a backup camera,roof rails, upgraded wheels,exterior chrome detailing,sunroof, and power liftgate.

At the most basic level,the Terrain will include fea-tures like air conditioning,cruise control, a trip com-puter, power accessories,powered front seats,OnStar, and a CD playerwith satellite radio and anauxiliary audio input.Bluetooth, an upgradedsound system, automatedtemperature controls, driv-er seat memory, hard drive-based music storage andnavigation, and rear seatentertainment should beavailable on higher leveltrims and as options. The

Terrain scored highly interms of front and rear seatcomfort, and in quietness.The vehicle also rated bet-ter than average for its classin cargo room. The stan-dard model includes frontbucket seats, driver infor-mation center, remote key-less entry, rearview cameraintegrated with rearviewmirror, air conditioning,

and rear window defogger.Stability control is providedalong with front and sideairbags, and side curtainairbags. Steering for the I-4is electronic power andhydraulic power for the V6.

The 2011 GMC Terrain isable to seat five people. Thecabin has comfortable seatswith enough head and legroom for its occupants.

There is plenty of cargoroom, as well as severalcubbyholes and bins tostore small items.

The Consumer Guideroad test of the 2011 Terrainfound that the vehicle hasabove average steering andhandling for its class.

The test also rated theTerrain highly on fuel econ-omy with 24.2 mpg for the

V4 and 23.6 mpg for the V6.The 2011 GMC Terrain is

a relatively compact utilityvehicle that still providesplenty of cargo space withMultiFlex rear bench.

The ride is comfortableand fuel economy rates wellfor its class.

Probably the best thingabout the Terrain is theprice tag.

PAGE 2 | NORTHSHORE AUTOMOTIVE | SUNDAY, JANUARY 23, 2011

The 2011 Kia Sorrentocan be seen at:Lakeshore Kia330 E. HowzeeBeach Road, Slidell

Phone: 985-641-9595Visit www.lakeshore

kia.com

GMC Terrain is available at Brian Harris

2011 GMC TERRAIN

The 2011 GMC Terraincan be seen at: BrianHarris Autoplex239 Howze BeachRd., Slidell

Phone: 985-643-2277Visit www.brian

harrisautoplex.com

Lakeshore Kia isthe place for the2011 Kia Sorento

2011 KIA SORRENTO

Redesigned alongside itsdistant cousins, the FordFusion and now defunctMercury Milan, the LincolnMKZ has a fresh new lookfor the current model yearand beyond.

F r o n t - w h e e l - d r i v eMKZs start at $34,965 andall-wheel-drive MKZs startat $36,855 (including desti-nation). Both prices repre-sent a roughly $2,000increase from the outgoingmodel, though they includeseveral new standard fea-tures.

Lincoln has also added ahybrid variant of the MKZfor the latest model year,and bucking industrynorms, is priced at exactlythe same price point as thestandard V6-poweredMKZ.

The Lincoln MKZ is amid-size, entry-level luxurysedan intended to competewith rivals such as theLexus ES350. The car ischaracterized by a some-what confusing history:designed as a replacementfor the rear wheel driveLincoln LS, it was originallyknown as the Zephyr for itsfirst year of production in2006 but then confusinglywas rechristened the MKZin 2007 to reflect Lincoln’snew alphabetical namingstrategy.

The new “facelifted”model has been revisedwith new front and rear fas-cias, highlighted bystretched tail lamps andsmoother contoursthroughout.

Inside, the MKZ hasbeen redesigned to featurea more modern dashboardand gauges, Bridges of Weirleather seat trim and Ford’snew corporate audio andHVAC controls.

Standard equipment willinclude heated and cooledfront seats and reversesensing.

The 3.5-liter V6 Duratecengine powers the latestLincoln MKZ, delivering263 horsepower and 249pound-feet of torque.Powertrain performance isimproved dramatically,with 0-60 mph times drop-ping from 7.7 to 7.1 seconds.

Fuel economy for the V6-powered MKZ is rated at 18city, 27 highway in front-wheel drive trim, and dropsto 17 city, 24 highway withall-wheel drive.

The hybrid variant leadsthe pack - and the segment- with 41 city, 36 highwaymiles per gallon.

Some of that improvedperformance is owed to thenew six-speed SelectShiftautomatic transmission,which delivers power to thefront wheels in the entry-level configuration, and toall-wheels with the option-al AWD package.

The new MKZ can beordered with a SportAppearance Package withspecial sport suspensiontuning with stiffer springsand larger stabilizer bars,18-inch Euroflange pol-ished wheels, darkenedgrille and headlamps, andan interior with contrastingpiping and uniqueappliques.

The new MKZ also

offers several new high-tech features, includingBlind Spot InformationSystem (BLIS) with CrossTraffic Alert (CTA), whichpromises make navigatingtraffic and parking lotssafer.

BLIS tracks vehicles inthe blind-spot zones oneither side of the vehicleusing two multiple-beamradar modules behind therear fenders. Indicatorlights in the outside rear-view mirror on both sidesof the vehicle warn thedriver when a vehicleenters the defined blind-spot zone, extending fromthe side mirror to 10 feetbehind the vehicle and 10feet away from the vehicle.

CTA uses the BLIS radarsensors to alert the driver ofapproaching traffic while in

reverse and backing out of aparking spot.

The CTA tracks up to 65feet on either side of thevehicle and warns the driv-er through both audibleand visual alerts.

In addition to these newtechnologies, MKZ offersSYNC, Next-GenerationVoice-Activated Naviga-tion, keyless entry,EasyFuel capless fuel filler,THX-branded audio andadaptive HID headlamps.

NORTHSHORE AUTOMOTIVE | SUNDAY, JANUARY 23, 2011 | PAGE 3

Lincoln MKZ now available at Bill Hood

LINCOLN MKZ

The Lincoln MKZ canbe seen at: Bill HoodFord/Lincoln1500 N. MorrisonBlvd., Hammond

Phone: 877-418-1455Visit www.hood

auto.com

The 2011 MitsubishiEndeavor, entirely designedand built in the U.S., is asolid new entrant into themid-sized, mid-priced SUVfield. Upon introduction,the LS FWD is equippedwith a standard 3.8-liter,

V6, 215-horsepower enginethat achieves 17-mpg in thecity and 23-mpg on thehighway.

The Limited AWD isequipped with a standard3.8-liter, V6, 215-horsepow-er engine that achieves 17-

mpg in the city and 21-mpgon the highway. A 4-speedautomatic transmissionwith overdrive is standardon both trims. The 2011Mitsubishi Endeavor is all-new for 2011. One engine isavailable in the Endeavor, abigger, more powerful andimproved version of the V6that powers the higher-priced 2003 Montero. It’s a3.8-liter V6 making 215horsepower, with an ironblock, aluminum heads andsingle overhead cam. It’smounted transversely, andmated to a four-speedSportronic automatic trans-mission with manual shift-ing capability.

For 2011 MitsubishiEndeavor the cargo behindthe front seat is 76.4 cubicfeet. The temporary sparetire is mounted under thecargo floorboard, which iseasy to raise; a full-sized

spare is optional. Frontlegroom is good. For frontlegroom, the Endeavor andPilot have 41.4 inches, theHighlander 40.7; mostother mid-sized SUVs arein that range. The XLS dri-ver’s seat with standardadjustable lumbar supportis comfortable and well bol-stered. Rear legroom is verygood, with 38.5 inches. Therear seat is quite comfort-able, and has a center arm-rest with two cupholders.Getting in and out is easy.There’s a nice big glovebox,and the cushioned armrestconsole between the frontseats has a removable tray,ideal for cell phones, thatincreases its capacity.There are two 12-volt out-lets within the console, andanother one accessiblefrom the rearseatMechanically it is onpar with other mid-priced

SUVs, while its styling isdistinctive.

The ride is the fourthfeature that Mitsubishiappears to believe is superi-or.

The new unibody chassisfor the Endeavor is verystrong. Mitsubishi says vir-tually every inch of it iseither reinforced, corrugat-ed, triangulated or doubledup. The longitudinal railsare octagonally shaped forstrength, with no weldedbeads, and there are five lat-eral cross members.

The engine’s drive-by-wire throttle system is veryresponsive. 2011 MitsubishiEndeavor looks best fromthe rear.

The back end is simple,smooth and classy-angularon a two-dimensional level,with the tailgate shapedinto a subtle stretchedhexagon by small taillights.

PAGE 4 | NORTHSHORE AUTOMOTIVE | SUNDAY, JANUARY 23, 2011

Solid Endeavor now at Slidell MitsubishiThe 2011 MitsubishiEndeavor can beseen at: SlidellMitsubishi312 E. Howzee BeachRoad, Slidell

Phone: 985-643-1300Visit www.levischevy

cadillac.com

2011 MITSUBISHI ENDEAVOR

The Silverado 2500HDis the Heavy Duty versionof Chevrolet’s full-sizepickup truck. For the latestmodel Chevrolet spent con-siderable time and effortreworking the powertrainsand chassis underpinningthe truck, but stopped shortof a major reworking of thetrucks’ sheet metal.

One of the most signifi-cant changes for theSilverado HD will be theclass-leading 6.6-literDuramax diesel, whichboasts 397 horsepower and767 lb-ft of torque. the newDuramax provides for anextra 32 horsepower and anadditional 105 lb-ft oftorque over last year’sengine. The Duramaxengine’s new glow plugscan prepare the engine forstarts in as little as 3 sec-onds in -20F weather. A 36-gallon gas tank is now stan-dard, giving the 6.6-literDuramax a roughly 680-mile range.

An enhanced Allison1000 six-speed automatictransmission will also bepart of the new package. It

will come with tap up/tapdown driver shift controland an elevated idle modeto speed the warm-upprocess. GM says that thetransmission helps 6.6-liter2500 HD models accelerateto 60 mph in less than 9seconds, a 0.3 secondimprovement over the out-going model.

The Silverado 2500HD

will come standard with amildly modified 6.0-literV8, good for 360 horsepow-er and 380 lb-ft of torque,which is hooked up to theautomaker’s 6L90 six-speed automatic. A newcamshaft profile increaseslow-end torque for betteroff-the-line performanceand better high-altitudetrailering.

GM is especially proudof the Silverado HD’s newexhaust brake system,which uses the turbine con-trol of the turbocharger andthe engine’s compression togenerate backpressure toslow the truck withoutusing the brakes or trans-mission.

The system is designedto work more efficiently

and quieter than existingtrailer braking systems inhigher altitudes.

Still, Chevrolet hasupgraded the the SilveradoHD’s brakes to a four-chan-nel ABS system on singlerear-wheel models and athree-channel system ondualies. The front and rearrotors are increased to 14inches in diameter and thebooster has been recalibrat-ed.

Wheelbases are in-creased across the line to gowith a the 11 new fully-boxed frames. GM saysrigidity us up 92 percent inbending and 20 percent inbeaming, while the frontstructure is 125 percentstiffer than before.

The frame-mounted

hitch is now strongerthanks to a box tube design;it now supports 16,000 lbs.

The new frames hold anall-new independent frontsuspension that has a 25percent greater front axlerating (6,000 lbs.).

The basic design isunchanged, but strongerforged steel upper controlarms and cast iron lowercontrol arms add strengthand reduce weight. GMsays that the systemimproves handling and ridewhile increasing strengthfor front end attachments.

The rear leaf spring sus-pension gains a largerasymmetrical leaf designthat are wider than existingmodels.

The 2500HD models geta two-stage leaf springdesign, while 3500HDs geta three-stage setup. Grossrear axle ratings are upacross the board.

The all-new SilveradoHD also offers 170-degreerear access doors forextended cab models, bol-stering interior cargo haul-ing ability.

NORTHSHORE AUTOMOTIVE | SUNDAY, JANUARY 23, 2011 | PAGE 5

The CTS-V Coupe,which debuted at the 2010North American Inter-national Auto Show inDetroit, combines the newCadillac CTS Coupe’s dra-matic design with the 556-horsepower (415-kW)supercharged V-8 enginefrom the Cadillac CTS-Vsedan. The result is a luxu-ry sports coupe aimed atdriving enthusiasts.

“The Cadillac CTS-VCoupe marries our mostpotent and sophisticatedtechnology with our mostdramatic production des-ign,” said Bryan Nesbitt,Cadillac general manager.“This combination of visualand technical attributes is

designed to create a verycompelling choice for luxu-ry sports car consumers.”

The Cadillac CTS-VCoupe begins productionthis summer. Its suite oftechnical and performanceelements includes Magne-tic Ride Control, racing-bred Brembo brakes and anavailable automatic trans-

mission with paddle-shiftcontrol.

The V-Series Coupeincludes a unique grille thatdoubles the car’s air intakevolume, an important en-abler for its high-perform-ance capabilities. It is alsovisually identified by araised center section of thehood that provides clear-ance for the supercharger,as well as specific front andrear fascias. Like theCadillac CTS Coupe, itsexhaust is centered insidethe rear fascia, but with un-ique twin outlets. The carrolls on 19-inch cast alumi-num wheels, available ineither painted or polishedfinishes.

The Cadillac CTS-V canbe seen at: LevisChevrolet Cadillac316 E. Howzee BeachRoad, Slidell

Phone: 985-643-1800Visit www.levischevy

cadillac.com

The classy Cadillac CTS-V coupe is now available at Levis Chevrolet

CTS-V COUPE

The tough dependable Silverado 2500HD is at LevisThe Silverado 2500HD

can be seen at: LevisChevrolet Cadillac316 E. Howzee BeachRoad, Slidell

Phone: 985-643-1800Visit www.levischevy

cadillac.com

SILVERADO 2500HD

The 2011 MitsubishiLancer is one of the sporti-est options amongAffordable Small Cars. Itreceives solid marks for itshandling and comfortablefront seats.

The front seats are com-fortable and handling ade-quate for highway drivingand city cruising.

The car gets the job done. Overall, the 2011

Mitsubishi Lancer is a goodchoice for shoppers whowon’t do more than drive towork and get groceries.Mitsubishi didn’t design thecar to be a drag racer, andconsumers shouldn’texpect any more than a lit-tle spunk from the Lancer.

The sporty but economical Lanceravailable at Slidell Mitsubishi

The 2011 MitsubishiLancer can be seenat: Slidell Mitsubishi312 E. Howzee BeachRoad, Slidell

Phone: 985-643-1300Visit www.levischevy

cadillac.com

2011 MITSUBISHI LANCER

PAGE 6 | NORTHSHORE AUTOMOTIVE | SUNDAY, JANUARY 23, 2011