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

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Kia teases distinctive next K7, which previews the 2020 Cadenza

The Kia Cadenza has made a home in America for only three years, but it's already up for a serious transformation with its next facelift. Kia South Korea has begun teasing the future of the sedan called K7 in its home market, and the rather anonymous midsizer is ready to make an impact. The four sketches and short video reveal much sharper lines all over, as if the sedan has spent many nights watching YouTube makeup tutorials on how to contour. The concave grille remains, forming a hard vee instead of the angled "C" shape of the current car. Prominent edges on the lower bumper form larger, swept-back intakes, the openings connected by a full-width trim piece with unfurled origami wings at the edges. The headlights go narrow on the coming car, highlighting their jewelry and a new LED DRL pattern. In back, chrome accents are toned down, formerly soft forms adopt hard edges, while taillights with a "Z" pattern get connected by a row of red lights spanning the fascia. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. There's far more drama for the interior. The instrument panel's been reworked to look more plush and make room for a single central feature, the large infotainment screen. HVAC vents move below the screen, and sleek climate controls occupy a compact slot between the vent and a gloss black covered cubby. The shifter has been shrunk into the shape of large, cut gemstone, the entire center tunnel area adopting a luxury sheen. And we can't be certain, but it appears one of the images shows an all-digital dash cluster. Camouflaged Cadenza prototypes have been spotted roaming South Korea for the past seven months. A South Korean reveal is likely just around the corner, giving us a glimpse into what we'll see later this year.

8 car technologies designed to keep you safe

Technologies are always advancing forward, especially in your vehicle. As more safety technologies are being introduced into the market, it can be hard to keep track of everything. So here are 8 technologies designed to keep you safe on the road. Want more coverage? Head over to http://bit.ly/2CcOngW Ford Kia Mercedes-Benz Subaru Toyota Volkswagen Volvo Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video FCA automatic emergency braking

Next-gen Kia Soul EV spied

Our spy shooters recently caught the next-generation Kia Soul wearing camouflage and showing bits and pieces of its new design. Now, we've got spy shots of the next Kia Soul EV, and it's testing at the Nurburgring. Our shooter points out the spot on the grille for the charging port, as well as the "E" on the license plate, that point to this being the electric version of the Soul. And, of course, we don't see any tailpipes hanging off the back. Similar to the last shots we saw of the regular Soul, the EV gets new lighting front and rear. We see what looks like signature LED lighting strips below the actual headlights — and if the previous spy shots are any clue, this strip could extend across the entire nose. One other feature we notice is the sensor placed low in the front fascia, which could mean the new Soul EV will be equipped with adaptive cruise control, along with other active safety features. In back, the lighting starts high and curves inward like a big boomerang. It looks like Kia is trying very hard to keep the rear of the car under heavy garb, so we might expect there to be other major design changes back there. We can't see from photos any other clues about the electric powertrain, but there's a good chance the Soul EV will use a version of the Hyundai Kona Electric's running gear. For the U.S. the EPA just announced driving range of 258 miles in that vehicle, though other markets also get an entry-level version with a smaller battery. We're happy to see progress being made on the Soul EV, and are looking forward to some of that camo coming off. Loading up the suspension on the Nurburgring looks like a riot, and probably indicates testing of thermal management and the resulting performance (and losses thereof). Related Video: