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18 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday July 25, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Altima Coupe blends the sensuous and practical By Jim Robinson OAKVILLE BEAVER SPECIAL *Based on an MSRP of $21,695/$15,995/$21,895 on 2007 Sportage LX MT (SP5517)/2007 Spectra LX MT (ST5417)/2007 Magentis LX MT (MS5417). Delivery and destination of $1,495/$1,350/$1,350, licence, registration, insurance, dealer administration fees and taxes are not included, unless otherwise stated. **Leasing plans OAC provided by Kia Canada Financial Services. Available on 2007 Sportage LX MT (SP5517)/2007 Spectra LX MT (ST5417)/2007 Magentis LX MT (MS5417). Based on a 60/60/60 month lease rate of 3.9%/0.0%/3.9%. First month's lease payment of $199/$179/$248 plus $1,495/$1,350/$1,350 delivery and destination, and a $350 acquisition fee, due upon delivery. Down payment for 2007 Sportage LX MT (SP5517)/2007 Spectra LX MT (ST5417)/2007 Magentis LX MT (MS5417) is $3,075/$995/$4,040. Total lease obligation for the featured models based on an MSRP of $21,695/$15,995/$21,895 is $15,040/$11,729/$18,947 and the option to purchase at end of lease for $7,265/$4,266/$5,209 plus applicable taxes. Lease has 20,000 km/year allowance (other packages available) and $0.10/km for excess. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Prices subject to change without notice. §"0% purchase financing on every remaining new 2007 Kia" available on approved credit (OAC). Available on all new 2007 Kia models. Maximum monthly term for "0% purchase financing" varies by model. See dealer for details. Purchase financing example: $10,000 at 0.0% purchase financing equals $167 per month for 60 months; cost of borrowing (C.O.B.) is $0 for a total obligation of $10,000. Monthly payment and C.O.B. will vary depending on amount borrowed, the term and down payment/trade. Other lease and finance options available. Prices subject to change without notice. Reduction of $1,750 off total principal amount or amount due on all new 2007 Sportage models. Monthly lease or finance payments have been adjusted for reduction. Certain restrictions may apply. Featured models are not exactly as illustrated. Images contain available accessories. NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) test results. NHTSA 5-star rating awarded for frontal and side impact. Visit www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncap for full details. ^Conditions apply to the $500 Grad Rebate program. See dealer for details. Kia's "Worry-Free Comprehensive" warranty covers most vehicle components against defects under normal use and maintenance conditions. Price, availability and specifications are subject to changes without notice. Information in this advertisement is believed to be accurate at the time of print. KIA is a trademark of Kia Motors Corporation. Put the pedal to the metal and pick one up... ... like us, they're only here for a limited time. 0 $ SE R PURCHA LEASE O % PURCHASE FINANCING ON EVERY REMAINING NEW 2007 KIA!§ 2007 SPORTAGE 1,750 BONUS LEASE FOR PER MO. FOR 60 MOS. $ 199 3.9 5-STAR CRASH TEST RATING ** % LEASE APR** $3,075 DOWN PAYMENT $0 SECURITY DEPOSIT LX-AWD model shown MSRP $21,695* 2007 SPECTRA 2007 MAGENTIS LX model shown MSRP $15,995* LX model shown MSRP $21,895* $ LEASE FOR 179 0 ** PER MO. FOR 60 MOS. % LEASE APR** $ LEASE FOR $995 DOWN PAYMENT · $0 SECURITY DEPOSIT 248 3.9 ** PER MO. FOR 60 MOS. $4,040 DOWN PAYMENT · $0 SECURITY DEPOSIT Visit kia.ca to see our full lineup of Kia vehicles. % LEASE APR** We've got you covered. · 5-YEAR/100,000 KM WORRY-FREE COMPREHENSIVE WARRANTY · 5-YEAR/100,000 KM POWERTRAIN WARRANTY · 5-YEAR/100,000 KM EXTRA CARE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE · NO DEDUCTIBLE CHARGE Oakville Kia 1450 Speers Road, Oakville, ON (905) 847-1511 The shape of the 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe is delicious. I don't think I've ever used that word to describe a Nissan/Infiniti vehicle before. The Infiniti G35 set the tone for and, along with the Nissan 350Z, set a face on the re-emergence of Nissan after it almost disappeared under a mountain of debt at the start of this century. And while being head-turning shapes, those two cars were more techno than entrancing. There was no mistaking the G35 or 350Z, but you couldn't call them gorgeous. Purposeful for sure, and perhaps handsome, but not hitting the visual pleasure spot like an Aston Martin V8 Vantage or a Porsche Cayman. I can only imagine how the stylists fought over this one. It would have been so easy to get it wrong, especially with the bean counters trying to keep engineering costs down as this is based on an everyday family sedan. With a hint of BMW Z4 at the rear and Jaguar XKE coupe on the rear window, what sets the tone is the ridge line that starts on the rear quarter and runs to the rear separating the cabin roof and window from the rear fender. The other critical detail is the rear light treatment that extends forward into the rear deck to seal the shape. Had these been a few millimeters either way, I don't think Nissan would have pulled it off. Another area where the Coupe makes an impact is on its flanks. There are no cladding, rub strips or character lines grafted into the flanks simply for effect. Here, less is definitely more the way the bodyshell looks like its skin is stretched tautly over the fenders to hint at its muscular power. The nose with its headlights sweeping back almost to the wheel arches is the gateway that lets the eye glide along the sides before introducing the tail. When you see the Altima Coupe in the rearview mirror, especially in a bright color like red, the louvered, matte-grey grille and the wide shoulders make it look lower than it is. In fact, it's easy to think a grand boulevardier is steaming up behind you instead of car based on a family plodder. There are several colours offered, but the Coupe looks the best (in my opinion) in red. It reminded me of some of the stunning show cars you used to see from the great Italian studios like Bertone, Vignale and especially Zagato. What makes the visual difference is the fact the Coupe is the same width as the sedan but is 66 mm (2.6 in) lower. From the side it is also 185 mm (7.3 in) shorter with a full 101 mm (4 in) cut from the wheelbase. Add this to the tumble back roofline and the Coupe becomes a very different car. Like the other Altimas, there are two powerplants. First is a 2.5-litre inline four-cylinder producing 175 hp and 180 lb/ft of torque. The 2.5-litre has 100 new parts (20 per cent) and gets the extra power through a larger intake manifold and a dual exhaust system that results in 30 per cent less backpressure. The other engine is a 3.5-litre V6 quad cam that powers just about everything in the Nissan/Infiniti fleet. The reason for that is the 3.5-litre is ultra smooth and packs a punch, in this case 270 hp and 258 lb/ft of torque. That's 15 more horsepower than bigger brother Maxima. There is a choice of either a six-speed manual or Nissan's Xtronic constantly variable transmission (CVT). There is no automatic available which is in keeping with Nissan's move to go with CVTs because they are slightly more fuel efficient. Fuel numbers for the 2.5-litre are 8.9/6.1L/100 km city/highway for the manual and 8.9/6.3L/100 km city/high Continued on Page 20