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2018 Kia Stinger vs. other luxury hatchbacks compared by the numbers

Ten years ago, if you had told us that one of the many new luxury segments to develop would be sedan-style hatchbacks, we'd have said you'd lost your mind. And yet, here we are today with not one, but four cars competing in just such a niche upscale segment: The Kia Stinger, Buick Regal Sportback, BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo and Audi A5. That's just in one size and price bracket. Two of the manufacturers listed here make larger versions of each luxury hatchback. We aren't entirely sure how it happened, but we're not going to complain, because we love the idea of a car with almost no compromise: luxury features, sporty performance, and plenty of practicality. Try Autoblog' s Car Finder to search for your next new vehicle. One of the reasons we're taking a look at these cars right now is that Kia has recently released pricing for its entry in the segment, the Stinger and Stinger GT. Buick wasn't far behind with the Regal Sportback and Regal GS, nor was Audi with the A5 and S5. So it seemed like an appropriate moment to look at the numbers and see which come out ahead or behind, with victors in each category highlighted with bold and underlined text. What we found when comparing these cars' statistics is that each one has a clear area of expertise. For performance, it's hard to beat the four-cylinder Kia Stinger and the V6 Stinger GT. The four-banger has the most horsepower of the four cars, and is just behind on torque. The V6 has the most power and torque among the six-cylinder versions. The Stingers are also the second lightest of the group when equipped with rear-wheel drive, though they fall to third with all-wheel drive. Space is a split between the Buick Regals and BMW 3 Series Gran Turismos. The Buicks have the most cargo space with the rear seats up or folded by a significant margin. The BMW on the other hand generally offers more space for passengers. It's up to you what's most important. Compare these and other potential new vehicle purchases using our tool. When it comes to cost, nothing can beat the four-cylinder Regal's base price of under $26,000. But if a V6 is what you're after, the Stinger GT is the cheapest. Neither matches the Audi A5 and S5 for fuel economy, though. Both Audis have the highest numbers for city, highway, and combined EPA estimates. Related Video:

Audi spotted testing new S4 at the Nurburgring

Where there's smoke, there's fire. Only in this case, the smoke is the upcoming new Audi A4, and the fire is the S4 spotted undergoing testing in this latest batch of spy shots. Snapped in both sedan and Avant wagon forms while undergoing testing on and around the Nurburgring – where else? – the next-generation Audi S4 will of course be based on the new A4 that's anticipated to debut in Frankfurt this September. That means MLB Evo architecture and styling that takes a page out of the new TT's playbook. But in S4 trim, it'll be altogether more performance oriented. Expect an even more powerful version of the outgoing model's 3.0-liter supercharged V6, pumping out a good 340-350 horsepower to all four of its driven wheels. That power will help it keep pace with the new Mercedes C450 AMG Sport. It won't have to take on the new C63 AMG directly, though, as that'll be the job of the next RS4 that will slot above it. But since that model may never make it to US showrooms, this will stand as the flagship of the new A4 family as far as the American market is concerned. Related Video:

1984 Audi Sport Quattro expected to hammer at nearly half a million dollars

The highest prices paid at automobile auctions continue to be claimed by European sports cars, with names like Ferrari and Bugatti forever topping the lists. But what we have here is not quite a sports car. It's more of a hot hatch, but its still expected to fetch between $350,000 and $475,000 when it goes up for auction next month in Arizona. That's because this is no ordinary hot hatch... it's the prototypical hot hatch: the legendary Audi Sport Quattro, one of the most maniacal and dominant homologated rally machines ever devised. Shorter in wheelbase and dartier of handling than the Ur-Quattro that came before it, the later Sport Quattro was built to comply to with the FIA's legendary Group B regulations. That meant that it competed with the likes of the Lancia 037, Ford RS200 and Ferrari 288 GTO – beating them all in the World Rally Championship one after another – but also had to be built in limited quantities and sold to the public. And so Audi and its nascent Quattro GmbH skunkworks division built 214 road-going examples of the Sport Quattro, and this could very well be the most immaculate example in existence. It was previously owned by noted collector Yoshikuni Okamoto of Kobe, Japan, and with barely more than 5,000 miles on the odometer, recently underwent an exhaustive service at Audi of Fairfield, CT – one of the company's largest dealerships – and though the Sport Quattro was never offered for sale in the US, this one is now fully registered for use on American roads and comes in impeccable condition despite its 30 years of age. The gavel drops during the RM Auctions event at the Arizona Biltmore on January 15-16, 2015. Even the low end of the pre-auction estimate is nearly double the $184,860 which Sports Car Market reports Bonhams sold an '85 Audi Sport Quattro in September 2013. Featured Gallery 1984 Audi Sport Quattro: RM Arizona 2015 View 21 Photos News Source: RM AuctionsImage Credit: Erik Fuller/RM Audi Auctions Hatchback Performance rm audi sport quattro