2006 Kia Optima Lx Sedan 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Kia considering tiny EV to give commuters an alternative to taking the bus

One of the more unexpected side effects of the coronavirus pandemic that's wreaking havoc on society is that public transportation is no longer being stubbornly celebrated as the solve-all alternative to driving. Commuters are afraid of catching the virus in a bus, and this trend is encouraging automakers to consider adding small, urban-friendly electric cars to their portfolio. Kia could jump into this segment to rival Citroen's $22-a-month Ami. "People want to feel safe today. We saw that clearly from a survey that was done after coronavirus in China, which showed people had moved from public transportation to private transportation," explained Emilio Herrera, the chief operating officer of Kia's European division, in an interview with British magazine Auto Express. He added 34% of respondents used private transportation before the virus began to spread; that number went up to 65% once the lockdowns and stay-at-home orders began to ease. Kia expects to see a similar shift in Europe and in North America, and Herrera said his team is "studying a proposal on having very small micro vehicles for urban use." He sees a real potential in this segment, and he has already looked at the aforementioned Ami. Electrification is key in this corner of the industry. First, it's difficult to develop a car the size of a golf cart if you need to package it around a 4.0-liter straight-six. Second, these vehicles are aimed specifically at urban users, and big cities in Europe and in Asia are increasingly kicking out non-electrified vehicles. Kia's pocket-sized car would be primarily used for short trips, and it would never venture farther than a few hundred yards away from a charging station, so it doesn't need a headline-grabbing driving range to be practical and usable. The 1,070-pound Ami is fitted with a 5.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack that delivers up to 43 miles of range. Rivaling public transportation is easy when it comes to comfort and convenience, but it's far more difficult when cost enters the equation. Taking the bus is cheap, so Kia's electric car needs to be almost as inexpensive. Citroen cracked the code: in France, the Ami costs about $6,600 to buy, $22 a month to lease, or 30 cents a minute via an app-based car-sharing program. Kia envisions users will be able to rent its competitor for a week or for a month via a subscription service "at very low monthly prices," though it stopped short of providing a dollar figure.

2023 New York Auto Show Editors' Picks

The New York Auto Show has typically marked the end of the auto show season. That's arguable now that shows have been shuffling around, but if we stick with it, that means that show season wrapped up with a modest bang. While the number of reveals were a bit modest, some of them were some seriously big deals for the car industry. Some of them were also literally big. And these are the reveals that were our favorites. They range from updated classics to the latest EVs. Read on to see what topped the list. 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe View 22 Photos 5. 2024 Jeep Wrangler The 2024 Wrangler is impressive as mid-cycle updates go. It's both a reflection of the longevity of the Wrangler's product cycles (we get a redesign once a decade, almost on the dot) and the Ford Bronco toppling Jeep's once firm monopoly on soft-top off-roaders. The cheaper 4xe entry is a welcome addition, and the ongoing one-upmanship between Ford and Jeep will continue to serve enthusiasts who want the best of the best. This is why competition matters, folks. — Associate Editor Byron Hurd Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept View 9 Photos 3. (Tie) Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept Even though it was far from the most important vehicle at the show, the Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept weirdly stole NY for me. IÂ’ve been largely unimpressed or neutral on most SUV coupes, but now thereÂ’s finally one that I love. Genesis design in general has been on fire lately, and the fact that it can turn out a crossover coupe that actually looks good is more evidence of its excellence. The stunning interior with those orange-backed seats and sporty-looking orange accents everywhere probably wonÂ’t make it into production, but IÂ’d love to see Genesis really amp up the performance angle with the coupe version of the GV80. Oh, and please offer the conceptÂ’s orange paint in the production carÂ’s palette, too. — Road Test Editor Zac Palmer 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric View 21 Photos 3. (Tie) 2024 Hyundai Kona The Hyundai Kona has been a favorite mini-crossover of ours for a while, but it has had some foibles. Most notably, it's been almost too small in some areas. That's been fixed and then some with this new one. It also doesn't lose any of the funkiness that made the model so distinct in the first place, while also gaining some fun styling cues from its bigger siblings.

Hyundai and Kia invest $110 million in UK electric van startup Arrival

Korea's Hyundai Group is backing a UK electric vehicle startup that plans to begin selling battery-powered delivery vans in 2021, the companies said on Thursday. Hyundai and sister firm Kia are making the investment of $110 million (100 million euros or 84.34 million pounds) in Arrival. Founded in 2015 and based in London, Arrival has developed a boxy, futuristic-looking shuttle bus aimed at the commercial delivery market. The company said its van will have a range between charges of 300 miles. In a statement, Arrival said it will work with Hyundai and Kia to develop a variety of electric vehicles, initially for the commercial market. Those vehicles will be built on Arrival's modular vehicle platform or "skateboard" that bundles motor, batteries and chassis components, similar to the skateboard developed by U.S. startup Rivian. Rivian is backed by Ford and Amazon, and has a contract to build 100,000 electric delivery vans for the e-commerce giant, starting in 2021. Hyundai and Kia last year invested $89 million in Rimac Automobili, a nine-year-old Croatian company aspiring to build electric supercars that is also backed by Porsche. Arrival said its vehicles will be equipped with advanced driver assist features and can be upgraded with self-driving systems. The vehicles are designed to sell for the same price as similar models powered by internal combustion engines and to be built in small "microfactories." That strategy is the opposite of U.S. electric vehicle rival Tesla which uses massive "gigafactories." Last fall, Arrival, which until now has operated largely in stealth mode, hired General Motors veteran Michael Ableson to head its new North American operations. With a small factory in Banbury, England, Arrival said it now has 800 employees in five countries, including Germany, Russia and Israel. Arrival previously said it would use BlackBerry's QNX operating system to connect safety features in its electric vehicles. Arrival said its prototype delivery vans are being tested by the Royal Mail, DHL and UPS. Related Video: Green Hyundai Kia Commercial Vehicles Electric Future Vehicles electric delivery van