The search for the next Kalyeserye yaya is on!

Image: Official Eat Bulaga Facebook Page

Yaya In, Yaya Glo, Yaya Pak, and Yaya Git, four aspirants are edginig each other out in the search for the next Kalyeserye yaya in the recent Kalyeserye segment from Eat Bulaga! Of course, over the week, the lolas and Divina met up with these would-be yayas, showcasing how good they really are and earlier, they pit these final four to the test both physically and mentally. In the first half, the yayas are undergoing an obstacle course to see how much of a yaya they really are. And on the second half, the yayas are talking trash in a series of debates set up by the lolas.

So, who will be the next Kalyeserye yaya? Tune in on Eat Bulaga every weekdays for more of Kalyeserye! In the meantime, congratulations to the winners of this year's Eat Bulaga Dabarkads Awards, in honor of their exceptional performances from this year's Lenten specials. Maine Mendoza, HBD girl Patricia Tumulak, Alden Richards, the rest of the Dabarkads deserved all the awards and congratulations to the job well done.

#BGTripleDubsmash

On the April 1, 2016 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Roadwork gags



- Security guard's having trouble dealing with celebs

- IKAW AT ANG INA takes on...fan pages!

- Imagine life when Dubsmash gets too personal...

- Messing with the action star...

- Antonietta meets Glaiza de Castro!

- Messy things happen inside the MRT.

- This man has plenty of explainations about random stuff everybody knows...

- Girls sharing their BF problems.

Leopaul's Heaven and Hell: Thank you, μ's

μ's, the popular school idol unit from the Love Live! School Idol Project has came to a bittersweet but happy end after the highly successful Final Love Live concert and I have to make one final love letter to the school idol unit that became as popular as...ahem, those two Dubsmashing lovers I saw on TV.

I guess it's time for me to explain how it all started when I got sucked into μ's popularity. You see, even when the Love Live anime aired at the beginning of 2013, I never even heard of it while other people are starting to respect this show more than K-On! a few years ago. Running from two seasons and a full-length movie, the affair of μ's is becoming the trendsetter of every anime otaku worldwide and because μ's is gaining so much attention global, the whole global fanbase is starting to take action. One such example is the app game I played before; the School Idol Festival game. That's how I got into the μ's mess as well as my little sister. I got greeted by every member of the school idol group the world's talking about; Honoka Kousaka (Emi Nitta), Kotori Minami (Aya Uchida) Umi Sonoda (Suzuko Mimori), Rin Hoshizora (Riho Iida), Hanayo Koizumi (Yurika Kubo), Maki Nishikino (Pile), Eli Ayase (Yoshino Nanjo), Nozomi Tojo (Aina Kusuda), and Nico Yazawa (Sora Tokui). Even though I didn't saw the anime, their hit songs really grabbed the best of me like a grappling hook on a tall building. Daring, isn't it?

Thanks to  μ's, the whole world's gone Love Live crazy and it opened up new and exciting opportunities to bring its presence to the world stage. I was very impressed that these idols have became the talk of the town from otakus everywhere. They keep chatting about who's their favorite μ's idol, talk about stuff they saw in the anime, have their say on the women behind the voices of  μ's, everything. I even read pieces of intel about whatever  μ's-related folks, even women, put on in their nifty little diaries and post it anywhere, even instagram. I know, so much intelligence gathering is happening on right now about what's for dinner right now, what show did they watch, what game did they play, or whatever the heck is going on.

I love the idea is that  μ's really reminds me of AlDub but with nine times more manageable because with such success, the commercial endorsements rolled in to the world's number one fictional school idol group especially partnerships with numerous establishments across Japan. You compare these two popular things and you got yourself half-sum worth of accessible fandom the world has ever faced.

Humor me, has my love for  μ's pushed my long love affair with THE IDOLM@STER franchise to second place? Sounds cheesy but even though the Love Live franchise is a half a decade younger than the legendary IDOLM@STER franchise, its popularity made these two idol titans trading punches with each other and to my dismay, most people who used to be in IM@S territory were migrating to the  μ's side because, well, you get the idea.

I know that Haruka Amami is my love affair to the IM@S franchise but when  μ's leader Honoka Kousaka kicks in, I'm starting to fell myself into the conflict between my two favorite anime idols, even though these two managed to become at the top of the CUTE WALL against any other cute characters I mentioned. Yes, they really are the cutest of the anime idol girls but if I had to choose one, it's a tough decision. Either way, they're like a part of me I wouldn't let go.

Watching both of the series gave me a quick reminder about why I got dragged into this idol mess while my little sister wouldn't mind. Getting dragged into this "idol hell" means all of my allowance has been long gone thanks to them and with those anime idol girls begin to haunt me for the rest of my life, I can't escape from their charming grasps even if I have to do by any means necessary to get out alive but no. No matter how many times I escape, they're still onto me no matter what.

Anyway, no time for further explanations about the conflict between the two idol giants because let's talk about the Final Love Live concert happened at the Tokyo Dome last night and don't worry because even you and I never make it to the final concert with  μ's, the playlist of the best of  μ's (including their final song MOMENT RING) as well the whole collection of  μ's figures (Nendoroids and SH Figuarts became a necessity because the figma lineup wasn't complete yet) and some endless imagination like from the AlDub concert last October is sure enough to bring the Final Love Live into the comfort of our homes. Judging what  μ's been through after its summer 2010 debut with their song "Bokurano Live Kimitono Life", the world's number one school idol unit unleashed the coup de grace just to kick the fans' butts to greater heights, delivering the moment they will never forget when they got out from the Tokyo Dome after their final live show. Yeah, this concert became the best sendoff  μ's has ever done.

The girls behind the  μ's gave everything they got to bring this Final Love Live one of the most successful events in anime history but for me, I have big respect for the woman who voiced Eli Ayase, Yoshino Nanjo. Ever since the girl behind my dear Elichika couldn't make it in one of  μ's performances such as the live television performance at Music Japan as well as the annual Kahotan new year's eve concert, I'm starting to grow disrespect from her but with Nanjorno appeared at the Final Love Live, I knew this lady gave her colleagues plenty of reasons to worry but she held out on her own out there because...she's an effing  μ's! (laughing heartly)

So, with the Final Love Live's finally finished, looks like the women behind  μ's will be back to their regular selves again. Mimorin's done being Umi Sonoda and returns to being Sherlock Shellingford from Milky Holmes. Nanjorno, meanwhile, will revert from being the vocalist of fripside as we know it. Everything's back to normal but the echoes of  μ's final concert will never be forgotten. This is the end of  μ's as we knew it but it's a prologue to the new generation of Love Live, mainly Aqours of Love Live! Sunshine!! While waiting for Aqours' next single coming this year as well as their upcoming anime show, guess this is a start of something new and I'm just warming up to prepare for Aqours because...there's now someone from the second generation who will wet my pants in bedtime. Particularly the swimmer from Aqours, You Watanabe. (laughing)

Love Live Forever!!!!!!!!!

Forza Motorsport 6: The Ferrari 488

On the recently launched Meguiar's Car Pack, the all new Ferrari 488 GTB has arrived late in Forza Motorsport 6 but it's better than never being showed up at all for us to try out Ferrari's latest turbocharged masterpiece.



So, what's it all about this new Ferrari? Premiered at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari's brand new sportscar, the 488 GTB, succeeds where the successful 458 Italia left off and in tune with the times, this car is the first turbocharged mid-engined Ferrari since the F40.

Unlike the 458 it replaces, the 488 GTB is armed with Ferrari's brand new 3.9L twin-turbo V8 engine, which is smaller in size but more powerful than the 458 because it produces 670PS of power and 760Nm of torque, while mated with a 7-speed F1 gearbox. Ferrari says that the new model can do 0-100kph in less than three seconds and a top speed of over 330kph.

Apart from its performance, the 488 features carbon-ceramic brakes inspired from the LaFerrari, resulting to better stopping distance than the 458. It features a unique aerodynamic design that improves its downforce by over a half. It comes with a central "Aero Pillar", which deflects air under the flat body while the two vents in the hood deliver air from the dual intakes of the front bumper, to lower air pressure.



As I recall, the new V8 engine maybe as turbocharged as the legendary F40 but it doesn't sound like one because with all that miniaturization comes with a hefty price in the show-off stakes in terms of engine noises, perhaps the folks wanted to lower the volume of the engine noise in the making of downsizing engines. Despite its lowered volume in the engine noise, the 488 still retains its charm in terms of dynamics. Because this is lighter than a normal 458 and it incorporates all of Ferrari's motorsport knowledge, the new 488 still retains its handling charm that its predecessor does, although you could use some special training to get things right while mastering Ferrari's new turbocharged sports coupe.

Anyway, while in the subject of Ferrari's brand new berlinetta, I guess it's time now to see how much of a Ferrari this car is as I'm on a day off somewhere in Spain. One part of Spain to be exact; the Circuit de Catalunya, the venue of the Spanish GP.





So, thoughts on this Ferrari? Well, although its turbocharged V8 engine isn't as sound as I hoped for, it does make up with its sharp dynamics that I can enjoy it harder and longer the more I'm getting accustomed to it. It maybe late to arrive in the FM6 car roster but it's good to have one of the latest Ferraris on the list and with the 488, there's more to discover with this turbocharged stallion from Maranello.

Let's Do The News! (April 1, 2016)

- Back to the money laundering issue, Senate President Pro Tempore Recto said that the masterminds behind the $81 million heist might be from China. Recto added that the Philippines was tricked by the perpetrators of the scheme as there might have been an "inside job" on the hacking at Bangladesh Central Bank.

- Manny Pacquaio urged the nation's college students to choose military service training among the courses offered under the mandatory National Training Service Program to prepare them to protect the Philippines in case of aggression. Running for senator in the May 2016 elections, Pacquiao issued a strong appeal to college students to take up Reserve Officers Training Corps program from among the four NTSP courses they have to enroll in. A student requires one NTSP course as a requisite for graduation.

- Another official takes a stab on the propaganda comic from presidential candidate Mar Roxas as Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez called Roxas' comic book depicting as a hero during Typhoon Yolanda "pure fiction". Romualdez cautioned candidates against coming up with such stories that hurt the people in the region.

- The alleged suspect behind the airport bombings at Zamboanga City six years ago has surrendered to officials of the National Bureau of Investigation in Manila yesterday. Addong Salahuddin, the suspect behind the bombings, said threats to his life prompted him to surrender. Salahuddin, along with several unidentified allies, is facing charges for multiple murder, multiple attempted murder, and illegal possession of explosives.

- The Nuclear Security Summit has opened in Washington, bringing together the leaders of over 50 countries. The summit opened Thursday night with a working dinner by US President Barack Obama, who inaugurated the gathering six years ago. Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and South Korean leader Park Geun-hye were among the attendees. The first day of the summit deals about curbing the threat of nuclear terrorism.

- Zaha Hadid, the London-based architect who penned the design for the main stadium of the 202 Tokyo Olympics, died at the age of 65. According to officials, she died of a heart attack on Thursday at a hospital in Miami, where she had been undergoing treatment for bronchitis since earlier this week.

- American electric car company Tesla unveiled the Model 3 compact saloon, a zero emission compact sports saloon capable of 215 miles of range and priced at $35,000. Production will commence at the end of 2017.

2018 Tesla Model 3

- Fancy another Uzuki Shimamura figure in your THE IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls collection? Be sure to book one with the brand new "Crystal Night Party version" for 11,852 Yen plus tax. If you do, she'll be arriving at your doorsteps this October so empty your checks for her, okay?

Uzuki Shimamura
Crystal Night Party version

- Check out the first trailer of the "brand new" Top Gear airing this May on BBC Two. May include Chris Evans vomitting during a wild ride with Sabine Schmitz in an Audi.

- In case you missed the recent Eat Bulaga kalyeserye, with the fourth person applying for a position as the new yaya at the mansion of the lolas and Divina's, it seems that the whole roster of would-be yayas will be duking each other tomorrow. So, which of the four will become the new yaya in Kalyeserye? Tune in tomorrow and find out!

TTFN!!!

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: NoKor fires short-range missile

The South Korean Defense Ministry reported that North Korea has fired a short-range SAM toward the Sea of Japan on Friday.

Ministry officials said the missile was fired from near Sondok in the easter province of Hamgyong-namdo at around 1300 hours local time. They said it fell in the Sea of Japan. Yonhap news agency said the missile flew about 100 km. Defense officials are analyzing the situation.

Source: NHK World

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: NoKor successfully designed an ICBM vehicle

According to a US defense magazine, North Korea appears to have succeeded in designing both a re-entry vehicle for the KN-08 intercontinental ballistic missile and a nucler warhead, although it has yet to build them.

Citing recent satellite imagery, NoKor media, and computer analysis, the country's re-entry vehicles may be able to fly straight without losing their balance, while its nuclear waheads appear small and light enough to fit inside the vehicles.

Meanwhile, South Korea issued a warning after facing problems with satellite signal that it appeared to be coming from North Korea. The warning issued at 1930 hours local time in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggido, and Gangwondo provinces, came as North Korea discharged a large amount of ECM, causing mobile phones to malfunction and affect planes and ships that rely on GPS navigation. No damage has been reported in the military or among civillians.

Right now, South Korean leader Park Geun-hye is in Washington to attend the Nuclear Security Summit and plans to win international concensus on more effectively implementing sanctions on North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Before the summit, Park said she has a strong conviction that the vision for a nuclear-free world must begin with the Korean peninsula and North Korea would "self-destruct" if it continues to go down this path.

Source: Arirang News

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North fired new type of rocket

The South Korean Defense Ministry reported that they projectile North Korea fired last week was a new kind of rocket. The projectile launched from near Wonsan on North Korean's eastern coast and came about 200 km away, in the country's northern province of Ryanggang.

Officials belive the North's engineers directed the rocket inland to showcase its ground-based target strike capabilities. The ministry raised its alert level, in an event of threats ahead of the nuclear security summit that kicks off in Washington this Thursday. The ministry unveiled a 5-year defense plan with a budget of over 195 billion dollars and it takes effect next year.

Source: NHK WORLD

Let's Do The News! (March 30, 2016)

- A certain Catholic charity group drew criticism over comic book propaganda of presidential candidate Mar Roxas portraying him as a hero during super typhoon Yolanda. Caritas Philippines Executive Secretary Edu Gariguez called Roxas' comic hypocritical and the campaign material a shameful and unacceptable propaganda.

- A US Department of State official told that the global community should urge China to abide by the ruling of the international tribunal on its arbitration case against the Philippines. According to the Department of State Deputy assistant Secretary Colin Willett, the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague will push for a more constructive diplomatic process that will reduce tensions in the South China Sea.

- All three Republican candidates backed out to pledge to support the eventual nominee during CNN town hall earlier. John Kasich said all of them shouldn't even have answered the question. Frontrunner Donald Trump, meanwhile, don't care when asked by reported Anderson Cooper if her continued to pledge to support whoever the Republican nominess. For Ted Cruz, he's not in the habit of supporting someone who "attacks his family" and nominating Trump would be a disaster.

- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will leave for Washington on Wednesday for the Nuclear Security Summit. The top leaders from over fifty countries will atend the summit, which opens on Thursday. The leaders include him, US president Barack Obama, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and South Korean president Park Geun-hye. The leaders will discuss ways to prevent terrorist attacks using nuclear weapons and other topics. They will also take up the Islamic State militant group following the Brussels attacks. Abe is expected to confirm with other leaders their close cooperation against the Korean Peninsula, which continues their never-ending threats such as nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches.

- Speaking of which, a senuor US official warned that North Korea is nearing on deploying a miniaturized nuclear warhead on an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the US mainland. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave the warning at the Washington think tank on Tuesday. The North Korean issue will be the top priority for the trilateral summit in Washington on Thursday as the leaders of Japan, US, and South Korea will meet on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit.

- The people of Burma are honoring the historic step in the nation's path towards democracy as their new leader Htin Kyaw has sworn in on Wednesday. Htin Kyaw is the first Burmese leader without a military background in over five decades. In his inauguration speech, he pledged to protect freedom, fairness, and national independence.

- Onto the Brussels attacks, the Dutch investigative authorities say they received intel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation about the suspects of last week's attacks six days before the bombings occured. The Dutch authorities said that they had been warned by the FBI about the alleged perpetrators of the attacks, Ibrahim El Bakraoui and his younger brother Khalid. They sai they were informed of Ibrahim's criminal record and Khalid's suspected involvement in terrorism.

- For those who watched the final episode of the hit anime comedy Osomatsu-san, did you know there are secret messages scattered throughout the ridiculously funny finale for the Matsuno sextuplets entering a do-or-die game of baseball through greater heights? CHECK HERE.

- Actress Princess Punzalan finally made her comeback to ABS-CBN after parted ways with the TV network over a decade ago.

- In case you missed the recent Eat Bulaga Kalyeserye; the lolas are finally out of the red after selling off their land from Zambales. Which means, they're back at being rich lolas again until someone appeared in front of the lolas who is a potential yaya to the mansion of the lolas and Divina Smash. The latest yaya audition goes by the name of Yayaglo, and much to the disturbance of Lola Nidora, she's a descendant of Yaya Mot, the battered yaya since post-war times. So, what's in store for her? Tune in next time and find out!

TTFN!!!

THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS STARLIGHT MASTER 01 Snow Wings

THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS
STARLIGHT MASTER 01 Snow Wings

Fans of the hit mobile app game THE IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage are pleased to hear that the extended version of the in-game song Snow Wings is now available and this is the first of the brand new STARLIGHT MASTER range inspired from the Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage game, where players can collect and idolize their favorite idols and go on a high score hijinks with their favorite Cinderella Girls songs, which is fairly similar to its rival app, the Love Live! School Idol Festival. There's some scouting, idolizing, practicing, full comboing, and whatever you expect on an idol rhythm game of this caliber.

This single features not only the full version of the titular song but also some more in-game songs such as はにかみdays and AnemoneStar as well.

THE IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage is available to download on Google Play and the App Store. Includes in-app purchases.

TRACK LISTINGS:

1) Snow Wings (M@STER VERSION)

2) はにかみdays

3) AnemoneStar

4) Snow Wings (M@STER VERSION) オリジナル・カラオケ

5) はにかみdays オリジナル・カラオケ

6) AnemoneStar オリジナル・カラオケ

7) Snow Wings (GAME VERSION)

THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS ANIMATION PROJECT ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK

THE IDOLM@STER
CINDERELLA GIRLS
ANIMATION PROJECT OST

Last year, the anime adaptation of THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS ventures the life and times of 346 PRODUCTION's CINDERELLA PROJECT as they venture through numerous obstacles in life to get their names be known to the hearts of fans. Of course, fans already watched the anime series in two halves; one by January 2015 and the second by July 2015, and fans thought that they loved the Cinderella Girls as much as the original 765 Production idols from the original IDOLM@STER series.

With the anime truly now consigned to the IM@S history books, the long-awaited original soundtrack inspired from last year's show has arrived, packed with background musics as heard on the TV show as well as TV edits of CINDERELLA PROJECT's finest.

All of the BGMs were made courtesy of MONACA and it's been packed in a unique vertically-shaped booklet packed with comments in the making of the music of CINDERELLA GIRLS as well as three music CDs (and a bonus Blu-Ray audio disc) to enjoy listening through the background musics as heard in the TV series.

TRACK LISTINGS:

Disc 1 

01 Theme of Cinderella Girls (M01A)

02 Anemone (M02)

03 Flower Language (M34A)

04 Why Don't You Be a Cinderella? (M33A)

05 Trial and Error (M17A)

06 Sly & The Girls Jewelries (M41)

07 April Tango (M05)

08 The Second Line of MIO (M10A)

09 Waltz for Dreamers (M06)

10 Just Curious. (M19)

11 Never Was a Cloudy Twilight (M40)

12 Puzzling Pizzicato (M07)

13 The Dancing Glass Slippers (M25)

14 The Cat Ears' Opinions (M30A)

15 Ambiguous Dialogue (M31A)

16 Dress! Dress! Dress! (M21)

17 The Days of Effort (M27)

18 All Right in the End (M39)

19 THE TWO SELFIE MONSTERS (M35)

20 Eight Days OFF A Week (M14A)

21 Teatime (in the Magic Hour) (M38)

22 RANKO's Grimoire (M13A)

23 Tut-Tut Blues (M32A)

24 Mondo Monday (M23)

25 Sunday Montuno (M24)

26 The Girls Etiquette (M22)

27 Count It Basis! (M11)

28 The Reversible Heart (M08)

29 Motif "Awake" (M09)

30 Honesty (M20)

31 Bedtime Nocturne (M37A)

32 Your Smile (M28)

33 Tears of Joy (M29)

Disc 2 

01 Fortunately, Ordinary (M36)

02 Carriage for Cutie (M03)

03 A Demon in Shibuya (M15A)

04 Passione (M04)

05 Wishful Thinking (M66)

06 Playing Spies (M67)

07 TOTOKIRA Kindergarten (M68)

08 Serendipity (M63)

09 If So (or Not So) (M65)

10 Elder Sisters' Pain (M64)

11 Thanks For Our Work (M42)

12 See You (M43)

13 Regal No.346 (M60A)

14 Erosional Authority (M60B)

15 Thistle Castle (M60C)

16 The Dotted Anxiety (M16)

17 Impatience (M26)

18 The Beautiful Creeps (M44)

19 Emergency (M45)

20 Heartbeats (M46)

21 Someone Behind the Door (M12)

22 Nothing's Gonna Be Alright (M48)

23 1159 Tinnitus (M18)

24 A Ripple of Courage (M61)

25 A Lost Princess (M49)

26 Starting Over (M62)

27 Primula Julian (M01C)

28 SHINSEN Girls (#26)

Disc 3 

01 お願い!シンデレラ(BGM Version) (C01)

02 メッセージ(BGM Version) (C02)

03 ススメ☆オトメ～jewel parade～(BGM Version) (C03)

04 We're the friends! (BGM Version) (C04)

05 Nation Blue(BGM Version) (C05)

06 Orange Sapphire(BGM Version) (C06)

07 アタシポンコツアンドロイド(BGM Version) (C07)

08 Star!!(Piano Instrumental Version) (C08)

09 夕映えプレゼント(BGM Version) (C09)

10 できたてEvo! Revo! Generation! (BGM Version) (C10)

11 オルゴールの小箱(BGM Version) (C11)

12 輝く世界の魔法(BGM Version) (C15)

13 Never Say Never(BGM Version) (C16)

14 S(mile)ING!(BGM Version) (C17)

15 ミツボシ☆☆★(BGM Version) (C18)

16 Shine!! (BGM Version) (C19)

17 夢色ハーモニー(BGM Version) (C20)

18 GOIN'!!! (BGM Version) (C21)

19 つぼみ(BGM Version) (C23)

20 Star!!(オルゴールVersion)

21 お願い!シンデレラ(オルゴールVersion)

22 アタシポンコツアンドロイド(TV Size)

23 Orange Sapphire(TV Size)

24 Nation Blue(TV Size)

25 GOIN'!!!

26 S(mile)ING!(TV Version)

27 流れ星キセキ(TV Version)

28 STORY

29 STORY オリジナル・カラオケ

Kia Niro

As if the crossover dilemma didn't had enough problems for the rest of us, the Koreans that brought us the Sportage and the Sorento gave us a little compact crossover that some say it would be the South Korean equivalent to the Honda Vezel. Enter Niro.

2017 Kia Niro

The Kia Niro, so oddly named, they named after someone from Tinseltown and apart from its odd name, this compact crossover is slotted below the Sportage and if things get any worse for us, the Niro is a hybrid that uses the same tech as the Hyundai IONIQ. Before explaining more about the Niro's hybrid stuff, let's talk about the design.

On keen observation, the Niro looks if its been a mashup between the Soul and the Jeep Cherokee from behind but despite its odd looks, the Niro isn't half bad full stop when you take it outside on the city center or the highway or whatever you come across because from every angle, the Niro blends its peculiarness with futuristic charm.

2017 Kia Niro interior

Step into the Niro's interior and it feels very futuristic indeed thanks to its high-tech intstrumental panel, well-organized center panel, and blue-and-black accents to make it well-tailored for a compact crossover. Although this is a five-seater crossover, the Niro can accomodate up to 1,425 liters of boot space with the rear seats folded, opening up for more possibilities in terms of your next day off or two and. With the rear seats present, the Niro can accomodate just the shopping stuff from the establishments but with the rear seats folded, it's garage-sale capable.

The Niro comes with other conveniences in store to make life easier for the tech-savvy owner such as wireless charger, heated steering wheel, climate control, KRELL premium surround sound system,

2017 Kia Niro

The Kia Niro may look like your average crossover but because it has some Hyundai IONIQ know-how, expect some misery in store and time to meet the cause of the Niro's misery. It's a Kappa 1.6L GDi engine connected to a 32kW electric motor and a lithium-ion battery while mated with a 6-speed double clutch gearbox. With this hybrid powertrain, it provides a total output of 141PS of power and 265Nm of torque. Fuel economy is around 19.5km/L, which is nowhere near as good as the hybrid-powered Honda Vezel.

But unlike the Vezel, the Niro behaves like a city car thanks to its clever suspension system and disc brakes, meaning that despite being a Korean-made, it behaves almost like a European compact and it feels okay to be accommodated with. It sure is a fine daily driver's car but some are concerned that the Niro may suffer the same bellyup as what happened to the Honda Vezel with the hybrid powertrain on it. Gets worse, it might suffer some throttle loss but it's too early to tell until you drive one.

2017 Kia Niro

Because the Niro is dubbed as the "Smart SUV", it features some smart tech that lives to its name Smart Cruise Control, Autonomous Emergency Brake, Lane Departure Warning System, and Blind Spot Detection. For safety puposes, the Niro comes with a rigid body and seven airbags.

Should you buy one? The Niro is priced at 23,240,000 Korean Won and it's bizzarely more expensive than the Sportage but despite the pricing, if you are feeling worrysome that the Sportage's diesel powertrain take the rap by the authorities because of diesel scandals, best to consider this hybrid for such reason. The Niro sure is a nice alternative to those diesel powered Kia SUVs but like the Honda Vezel, you really don't hold much hope.

Available Colors: Snow White Pearl, Silky Silver, Metal Stream, Ridge Espresso, Gravity Blue, and Aurora Black Pearl.

Photo: Kia Motors