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Awarding-winning Telluride heads Kia show lineup
By Bud Wells
As Kia, along with other car builders, shifted emphasis from sedans to sport utility vehicles over the past 10 to 15 years, it found the mountainous terrain of Colorado much to its liking. And as the Kia fleet reflected more and more adaptation to all-wheel control, Coloradans likewise found the Kia products much to their liking.
The Telluride three-row crossover caught on in a flash and established itself as a contender against such widely known midsizers as the Honda Pilot, Ford Explorer and Toyota Highlander. At 196.9 inches in overall length, the Telluride sits sizewise between the Pilot’s 196.5/ Subaru Ascent’s 196.8 and Nissan Pathfinder’s 198.5.
The Kia Seltos, a subcompact entry, is 172 inches in overall The link was tightened when Kia length on a wheelbase of 103.5 planners, in naming a promising inches, with curb weight of 3,317 three-row, midsize SUV crossover pounds. It is 3 inches longer than concept, looked to a legendary the key-rival Honda CR-V, 200 village in a canyon surrounded pounds heavier and owns a halfby tall, rugged mountain inch edge in ground clearance. peaks in southwest Colorado – Prices for the Seltos subcompact Telluride. AWD models range from a base The 2020 Telluride was a of $23,665 for the LX to $29,165 showroom success and its list of for the well-equipped SX. A new honors ranged from the Rocky Turbo Nightfall Edition has been Mountain Automotive Press’ SUV unveiled, featuring a blackedof the Year to the prestigious out look on the exterior and a World Car of the Year. With its 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder upscale appearance inside and engine. The Nightfall Edition is out, the ’21 and ’22 models also available on the Telluride continue the appeal. and Sportage. The Telluride and its three SUV The redesign of the fourthcrossover stablemates – the generation Kia Sorento this year Sorento, Sportage and Seltos – with higher ground clearance will share a major presence in the and improved approach/ Kia display at the 2021 Denver Auto Show at Elitch Gardens this departure angles gives it more offroad capability. week. The outdoor show will The Kia Sportage, at 176.4 inches be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday overall length is slightly larger and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. than the Seltos. Earliest sales
The 2022 Telluride Nightfall Edition with new Kia logo will be seen at the Denver Auto Show. (Kia photo)
by Kia in the U.S. were the 1994 Sephia and ’95 Sportage. I’ve driven and reviewed since then 56 new Kias, including the two newest SUV crossovers, the Telluride and Seltos. Some years back, Jan and I, Dave
and Norma Wagner flew into Orlando; there waiting was a new Sorento for our use. A day later, we photographed the Sorento near the Bull Gator Bronze at the University of Florida in Jacksonville.
The Kia Seltos subcompact crossover at entrance to Big Thompson Canyon in Colorado. (Bud Wells photo)
Felker steamed up Pikes Peak, inspired 1st car show
By Bud Wells
William B. Felker, he’s the guy who started it all – the attraction for auto shows in carcrazed Colorado.
made a daring drive to Colorado Springs and back to Denver, 150 miles in 8 hours, 7 minutes, including 57 minutes spent fixing punctured tires. Driving 30 miles per hour, Felker, in his Locomobile in Felker was swinging around August 1901, with a friend, curves never built for such Charles A. Yont, in the seat speed, reported the Denver beside him, operated and pushed and carried the steamer Times. Among many brands to the summit of Pikes Peak. at that first show were It had never been done before. Babcock Electric, Darling, Never, that is, in a horseless carriage. On their return, Felker’s Electric Vehicle, Elmore, Knox, Locomobile steamer, wife said, “I’m sure no one will Oldsmobile, St. Louis, ever do it again.” National electric, Mobile, “Coming down,” Felker said, “was Remington truck, Rambler, very dangerous. We couldn’t get Toledo, Potter, Friedman, out. Sometimes the machine Waverly electric, Winton. would spin around on two Auto shows began on a regular wheels; sometimes we would annual basis in Denver in 1905, lurch threateningly, but we when 15 dealers set up displays always righted ourselves.” at the Coliseum. Exide batteries The fact Pikes Peak had been were demonstrated by Oliver conquered by a steamer Fritchle of the Electric Garage. was great news for the state Moving pictures of national and its hundreds of early races highlighted the 1906 auto enthusiasts. Those early event. A year later, the Coliseum vehicles were split between the hall was redecorated to give steamers, electrics and internal- visitors the feeling they were in combustion power. an outdoors setting. Felker, who was the local The 1908 Denver Auto Show was agent for Locomobiles, began moved to the Mammoth Skating clamoring for an auto show in Rink at Colfax Avenue and Denver. With the help of George Clarkson Street, and the larger E. Hannan and Hervey Nichols Jr., floor space was filled with two other dealers, the first-ever 107 automobiles. local car show was scheduled Forty car agencies were for May 12-17, 1902, at the old operating in Denver in 1908 and Coliseum building. they sold 1,550 vehicles for a total of $3,250,000. The introduction of A week before, in an effort the Ford Model T was that year, to promote the event, Felker
The Denver Branch Assembly Plant was operated by Ford Motor Co. from 1914-1933 at 920 S. Broadway. (Ford)
which spurred sales. It was the best-selling car in America until production stopped in 1927 for the more modern Model A. Prices for new cars by 2010 included $650 for a Brush Runabout, $750 for a Hupmobile
Roadster, $850 for a Stanley Steamer, $1,025 for a Ford Model T, $1,400 for a Maxwell, $1,500 for a Regal, $2,250 for a Mitchell, as high as $3,000 for a Cadillac and $3,000 for a Winton Six.
W.B. Felker and C.A. Yont in the first car, Locomobile, atop Pikes Peak in 1901. (Colorado Car Book)
kia.com
CAPABILITY. JUST A WORD TILL YOU GET THERE.
Check out Kia’s exceptionally capable SUVs, with available all-wheel drive, and the rest of its lineup at the Denver Auto Show or your Denver Area Kia Dealer. Centennial
Denver
Fort Collins
Arapahoe Kia 9701 E. Arapahoe Rd. Centennial, CO 80112 (303) 874-2500
Grand Kia 1950 W. 104th Ave. Denver, CO 80234 (303) 904-1177
Fort Collins Kia 2849 S. College Ave. Fort Collins, CO 80525 (970) 377-6900
Littleton
Longmont
Wheat Ridge
Peak Kia 5077 S. Wadsworth Blvd. Littleton, CO 80123 (303) 904-7800
I-25 Kia 10258 E. I-25 Frontage Rd. Longmont, CO 80504 (303) 532-4617
Medved Kia 11201 W. I-70 Frontage Rd. N. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 (303) 421-0100
2022 Sportage SX Turbo AWD, 2022 Soul Turbo, 2022 Sorento Hybrid EX AWD, 2022 Sorento Plug-in Hybrid SX Prestige, 2022 Carnival SX Prestige, 2022 Telluride SX Prestige AWD, 2022 Sorento X-Line SX Prestige AWD, and 2022 Seltos SX Turbo AWD shown with optional features. Some features may vary. Not all optional features are available on all trims.
DENVER NEAR-PERFECT SETTING FOR OUTDOOR AUTO SHOW The Ford Mustang Mach-e electric. Photo by Bud Wells
AUTO SHOW OPENS DOORS TO ONCOMING ELECTRICS, HYDROGEN
The luxurious 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Photo by Jeep
By Bud Wells
By Bud Wells
Consumers in Colorado, for the most part, seem barely on the edge of acceptance of electric vehicles as the choice of transportation in coming years.
Yet, state government edicts are pushing forward against the use of fossil fuels amid the global warming concerns and automobile manufacturers are almost daily addressing plans to move to electric-car production. In order to become familiar with the alternative offerings of fully electrics, plug-in electrics and gas/electric hybrids, instead of the age-old internal-combustionengine power, many motorists look to auto shows, such as the one opening in Denver this week. It’s a chance to see the possibilities all together, including information on hydrogen-powered fuel cells in the form of a bus operating on electric power from hydrogen.
charging programs and how to set up “charging at home” possibilities. On display also will be the New Flyer Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Bus, a zero-emission public transportation vehicle in operation at several airports across the U.S., according to New Day Hydrogen. Adding interest will be the Toyota Mirai, a midsize hydrogen fuel-cell automobile, and one of the first of that future technology to be mass-produced and sold. Over the past couple of years, I’ve driven six fully electric automobiles – the Ford Mustang Mach-e $51,200; Volkswagen ID.4 $45,190; Chevy Bolt $43,905; Nissan Leaf $44,780; Mini Cooper SE $37,750; Kia Niro EV $47,155. Among others are Audi e-tron, BMW i3, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kona Electric, Jaguar I-Pace, Porsche Taycan, Tesla and Volkswagen e-Golf.
The Denver Auto Show, an outdoor setting at Elitch Gardens this year, will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 19.
My most recent drive of an all-electric was the Volkswagen ID.4; a rear-wheel-drive model with a 201-horsepower electric motor situated over the rear axle. The VW is a good handler, very quiet and offers a comfortable ride.
Test-driving electrics in the Xcel Energy Drive Electric Experience will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Among electric models available for riding or driving are the Polestar2, Volvo C40, Nissan Leaf and Volkswagen ID.4. Inside the Xcel Garage also will be advice on home-
Brief notes from the other drives: The Ford Mustang Mach-e AWD comes with an 88kWh battery pack with 288 lithium-ion cells in a waterproof case beneath the floor between the crossover’s front and rear axles. The single-speed transmission is smooth and the Mach-e4 performed with good control on snow
and ice. . . . .The fully electric Chevy Bolt was the first affordable, long-range electric auto from an American manufacturer. . . . . With the Nissan Leaf Plus, it was cold, windy and rainy, we were running late headed for funeral of a friend in Sterling and the range dropped dramatically. We were saved by a quick-charge station at Fort Morgan on the return drive. . . . . The Mini Cooper SE has the least amount of range, about 110 miles. Its immediate response and quick acceleration, even with its 1-gear transmission, makes it a fun car to drive. . . . .With the Kia Niro EV, generating the electric power is a lithium ion polymer battery pack, 150 kw (201 horsepower) electric motor, an onboard charger, fast-charge port in the front grille, 1-speed direct-drive transmission and regenerative braking with paddle shifters.
As competition heats up in the automotive industry, so, too, does the opportunity widen to compare models on display on the grounds of the 2021 Denver Auto Show, which opens Wednesday at Elitch Gardens.
While Jeep celebrates its entry into the world of three-row SUVs with its new Grand Wagoneer, Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee L, it must also prepare for a new rival, the Ford Bronco four-door, against the long-popular Jeep Wrangler Unlimited four-door. Ford’s been without a Bronco since 1996 and for the past 15 years has watched Jeep sell thousands of Wrangler Unlimiteds. So the Dearborn boys went back to the drawing board, got busy and created, first, the small Bronco Sport and, now, the big, four-door Bronco. Take a look at the Wrangler Unlimited; then another glance at the Bronco First Edition 4-door. It’s a sales race in the making. Mid-September seems ideal for an outdoor auto show, and Denver is a perfect setting, with a backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. To stage the show outdoors, and in the fall, was decided upon after postponement of the 2020 show and the normal springtime show of 2021 due to Covid precautions.
The Volkswagen ID.4 electric.
Photo by Bud Wells
Hours for the Denver Auto Show are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Honda Civic Touring sedan is a 2022 model. Photo by Bud Wells
Wednesday through Saturday. Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission prices are $15 for adults, $9 for children 6 to 12, and kids younger than 6 are admitted free. Preceding the start of the car show will be the 12th annual Denver Auto Show Preview Gala on Tuesday evening. It will feature this year the inaugural Colorado Automotive Hall of Fame dinner at 5:30 p.m. in the Maroon Bells Pavilion at Elitch Gardens, just outside the auto show floor.
The 2021 Ford Bronco First Edition Sasquatch 4-door. Photo by Bud Wells
2022 SANTA CRUZ
First-ever...
2022 TUCSON
all-new. Come in and see the first-ever SANTA CRUZ and the all-new TUCSON.
Colorado Hyundai Dealers Arapahoe Hyundai 9899 Arapahoe Road Centennial, CO 80112
AutoNation Hyundai 104 750 West 104th Avenue Northglenn, CO 80234
Planet Hyundai 15601 West Colfax Avenue Golden, CO 80401
Crossroads Hyundai 3870 Byrd Drive Loveland, CO 80538
McDonald Hyundai 6500 South Broadway Littleton, CO 80121
Boulder Hyundai 2555 30th Street Boulder, CO 80301
Schomp Hyundai 100 Havana Street Aurora, CO 80010
Hyundai of Greeley 4533 West 29th Street Greeley, CO 80634
America’s Best Warranty based on total package of warranty programs. See dealer for limited warranty details. Hyundai is a registered trademark of Hyundai Motor Company. All rights reserved. ©2021 Hyundai Motor America.
Stevinson Hyundai of Longmont 600 South Main Street Longmont, CO 80501
June 23, 2021 Denver Auto Show Elitch Gardens 2000 Elitch Circle Denver, CO 80204 Greetings: The Mile High City is pleased to welcome everyone back to the Denver Auto Show — which will be held outdoors for the first time in more than 100 years! We're excited you're here to 'kick the tires' on the most innovative and fuel-efficient vehicles available today. As you walk the floor, you'll find a plethora of electric vehicles, including domestic and imported cars, trucks and SUVs. And for the first time, you'll even be able to take a few for a spin during the Ride 'n Drive event during the show. It's an exciting time in the transportation industry, as innovation, variety and technology are constantly shaping the market. Whether you like trucks or prefer SUVs, are more comfortable behind the wheel of a car or you’re the designated van driver for the team, any vehicle on the market today is far more fuel efficient than those of just five years ago. Kick the tires. Talk to manufacturers’ reps. Take a few of the most technologically advanced and environmentally friendly vehicles for a spin. It’s all here — outdoors — at the 2021 Denver Auto Show, against the spectacular backdrop of the Mile High City. Best wishes for an enjoyable, informative and productive event. Respectfully,
Michael B. Hancock
MAKE IT YOUR OWN.
$
1,000
ACCESSORY ALLOWANCE TOWARD THE PURCHASE OF A NEW 2021/2022 SILVERADO 1500, SILVERADO HD, COLORADO, TAHOE OR SUBURBAN WITH ELIGIBLE ACCESSORIES 1
COLORADO CHEVY DEALERS ChevyMadeForColorado.com
1 Must take new retail delivery of a 2021/2022 Silverado 1500, Silverado HD, Colorado, Tahoe or Suburban with eligible GM or Associated Accessories by 9/30/21. Accessory purchase must be equal to or more than $1,000 dollars at MSRP. Excludes tax and installation. Not available with some other offers.