Kia Venga vs. Hyundai ix20: almost identical cars from different Brands.

The Kia Venga came as first on the market and was a direct hit in 2010. While it took Hyundai at least one year more to release their ix20. The two hatchbacks with 5 doors are looking very similar, except the front. These cars are multiple purpose vehicles (MPV's), that's what's it make them ideal family cars.

Driving the car

KIA Venga

Because you are sitting quite high in these cars you have more control of the traffic around you. Getting in the car is also more comfortable because of the higher placed seats. The compact dimensions make it easy to park, and some models are equipped with sensors that make park the car a peace of cake. Some people complain that the first Huyndai ix20 has less powerful engines installed in their models than KIA but Hyundai made now some new models with more powerful engines, even more powerful than those engines that KIA offers.

Hyundai ix20

Room and boot capacity

The cars are very roomy inside and are performing very well with their boot capacity that can handle 440 liters, that's more than most MPV's (the Ford B-Max has 318 liters). The backseats are adjustable so you can ad extra space up to 570 liters. And if the backseats are folded down to a flat surface you can have 1486 liters of boot capacity.

Same parts for 2 different cars

From my own experience some parts of both cars can be used for each car, like the front-window that fits exactly in both cars. When I needed to repear the front window of my Hyundai ix20, because of a crack in the window, I needed a whole new front window. The carglass center did repair it with a Kia Venga window. What parts are more out there that can be used to assembly both cars? 

Models and prices

The Huyndai brand made more style variations like the new ix20 Move and the ix20 Active. You have also more choice in the type of engines. But the engines of the KIA models are performing better. The Kia Venga and the Huyndai ix20 are having almost the exact same prices from 13000 (exclusive taxes) for the lounge versions to 18000 € (exclusive taxes) for the top versions.

City air pollution shortens our life

Exhaust

Scientists have studied pollution and other factors such as health services and exercise.It has taken a quarter of a century, but US researchers say their work has finally enabled them to determine to what extent city air pollution impacts on average life expectancy.

The project tracked the change of air quality in 51 American cities since the 1980's. During that time general life expectancy increased by more than two and half years, much due to improved lifestyles, diet and healthcare. But the researchers calculated more than 15% of that extra time was due to cleaner air.

You do have a choice on whether you smoke, drink, exercise or what type of food you eat - but you do not have a choice on what air you breathe.

Dr. Douglas Dockery, at the Harvard School of Public Health
'We think about five months of that is due to the improvement of air quality,' said Dr. Douglas Dockery, head of the Environmental Health Department at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, which undertook the research. He added that, due to the relatively clean air in the US, the impact was far larger than anticipated.

Dr. Dockery said there were many factors which had an impact on life expectancy. But he added: 'Clean or dirty air is something that is being imposed on you. You do have a choice on whether you smoke, drink, exercise or what type of food you eat. But you do not have a choice on what air you breathe.' Dr. Dockery believes that if his research was transposed onto the heavily polluted cities of the developing world, such as Beijing or Mexico City, the life expectancy impact would be far greater.

Lung damage
'We would be talking about several years,' he said. 'Three to four years - a significant change in how long you live for. We looked at fine particles that penetrate deep in the lungs, those that are not caught in the nose and the mouth, and directly damage the blood vessels. Most of those come from combustion, from automobiles, diesel trucks and buses and power plants. On a bad day, I can taste the particles.'
Dr. Dockery hopes his findings will encourage governments to work towards making air even cleaner over the next 25 years. Even in Boston, which has comparatively clean city air, pollution levels change suddenly from being safe to highly dangerous. Bruce Hill, a scientist with the Clean Air Task Force, measured two sets of pollution levels. One was on a bridge over a highway with only cars and the other over a highway with diesel-powered trucks.
'Just now that truck passed and the levels spiked up to five times higher than they were in the rest of the city,' said Hill. Now, see, it's gone 25 times higher.' From there he went down onto the underground platform of a commuter train station. 'This is bad,' he said. 'The monitors can't go any higher, meaning the level here could be a hundred time higher than the cleaner air outside.
'Some people commute for five per cent of the day, which is the amount of time they're being exposed to these particles.' Comparable to smoking

Hill describes the damage caused by regularly breathing such air as like living with someone who smokes. Exhaust fumes are a major contributor to air pollution. In the long term, he argued, it can cause cancer and cardio-vascular problems. In the short term, it can create asthma attacks and allergies.

Cait Maas, who already has a respiratory problem, lives in an apartment that looks out on a shipping terminal, an oil depot and a multi-lane highway.  A main road near her home is a key route for diesel trucks. 'On a bad day, I can taste the particles. I feel them constricting my airways and I have to cover my mouth so that I can breathe.'

Over the next generation, however, it's expected that pollution, especially that created by dangerous diesel particles, will be cut dramatically. Standard filters are now being fitted to buses. Bio-fuels and cleaner energy in general, brought about by climate change pressures, will make the air safer.

Related stuff
Global warming is increasing! 3% CO2 more with each climing temperature degree

BMW 5 GT, a mix between a Grand Turismo, a break and a 4 doors coupé

The BMW 5 Grand Turismo Concept, a mix between a sedan and a hatchback coupé or break. Read more about this BMW 5 GT on Supercars Reviewed.

Nederlands
De BMW 5 Grand Turismo Concept, een mix tussen een vierdeurs Coupé en een hatchback of break. Lees meer over de BMW 5 GT op Fast and Exotic Supercars.