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A hotter hamster wheel | 2017 Kia Soul Turbo First Drive

Finally. Finally. After much teasing, taunting, and auto show concepting, Kia is making its funktastic hatchbox, the Soul, with a turbocharged engine. The new, 2017 Soul Turbo takes all the good things about the standard car – the space, style, comfort, and long list of standard and optional equipment – and adds a dose of performance, courtesy of the 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder also used in the Forte5 SX and Forte Koup, as well as Hyundai's Elantra Sport and Veloster Turbo. It was a long time coming. According to Kia, consumers like the Soul – to the tune of almost 150,000 units last year – but aren't as fond of its previous two-engine lineup, which previously topped out at a 161-horsepower, 150-pound-foot naturally aspirated four-cylinder. Alongside all-wheel drive, more power was at the top of the customer wish list. While all-wheel drive is absent here – the packaging is too tricky and the cost too high, Kia tells us – the Soul Turbo hits a market white space, offering small CUV utility with entertaining but not overwhelming straight-line performance. This is, in the end, a higher-power version and not a full-on performance model, and the changes were made without compromising the friendly look and comfort we like. Yes, the Turbo-specific 18-inch wheels look lovely, but they're shod in the same 45-series all-season rubber as the 18s available on other Souls. And while the handsome leather-wrapped, flat-bottom steering wheel is sporty, the supportive-but-not-claustrophobic seats are a reminder that this is an everyday vehicle. Even the exterior accents – new front and rear fascias, side sills, red exterior badges and accents, and a dual-tip exhaust – aren't enough to overshadow the Soul's funky, friendly, and cute look. Even the oily bits aren't free of Kia's balanced approach. Admittedly, that's not entirely evident after looking at the powertrain details. The turbo 1.6-liter produces 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, which isn't a lot for cars like the Veloster Turbo or Forte5 SX, but compared to other small CUVs and the Soul's 130-hp non-turbo 1.6-liter and 161-hp 2.0-liter, it's a big improvement. That 2.0-liter engine is likable, with enough low and mid-range torque that we can't complain about the 4,700-rpm peak, but the total figures are so low and the Soul's 3,163-pound curb weight so high, getting anywhere briskly means wringing everything out of it. The Soul Turbo does not have this problem.

Kia Niro Concept is the miniature Soul of the future

The Kia Niro Concept has officially made its Frankfurt Motor Show debut, and aside from the product specialist who would not get out of our photographer's way, this was our first in-person look at the Niro Concept, which first broke cover near the end of last month. The compact, rough-and-tumble crossover would slot in below the Soul were it to enter production, with Kia calling it a B-segment competitor.
The Niro sports neon accents, although both the trim and the actual color of the car itself are far lighter than they appeared in the original press photography. The cabin, meanwhile, looks like it was completely crafted from a single piece of rubber. We suppose that'd make it easy to clean out, sort of like a Jeep Wrangler.
Kia claims the Niro was designed "in Europe with European tastes" in mind, and that its production options will be based on the response of the general public. Take a look above for a full gallery of live photos, and then down below for the press release and images from Kia.

Ferrari 488 GTB among the best car designs of 2016 [UPDATE]

Can't decide whether the Ferrari 488 GTB looks better than the 458 Italia it replaces? A design jury has make up its mind. The 2016 Red Dot design awards are being announced today, and Maranello's latest eight-cylinder, mid-engined supercar won top honors. The Red Dot Awards for Product Design recognize the best new products on the market across an array of categories and industries, including automobiles. This year's panel of 41 experts, including Chris Bangle and Ken Okuyama, evaluated some 5,200 designs. From those, they selected 1,304 for a Red Dot award, and only 79 as the "Best of the Best" – among them the new Ferrari. This is the second year in a row the Prancing Horse marque has been awarded the honor, having been earned an award for the FXX K last year. A full list of this year's honorees isn't yet available, and it's uncertain that other automakers will earn awards. Last year's list also included the Mazda MX-5, Mercedes-AMG GT, and Volvo XC90. The Peugeot 308 SW, if you can believe it, was the only car awarded Best of the Best in 2014, the Audi R8 in 2013, and the Renault Twizy in 2012. UPDATE: The Red Dot organization has released the full list of this year's product design honorees, with the McLaren 570S and Kia Optima also awarded among the Best of the Best. Red Dots were also awarded to the Audi A4, R8, and Q7, BMW 7 Series, M2, and X1, Fiat Toro, Hyundai Ioniq, Kia Sportage, Mercedes C-Class, Skoda Superb Estate, and Volvo S90. The jurists also gave Honorable Mentions to the Borgward BX 7, Genesis G90, Mini Clubman, Qoros 3 City SUV, and Smart Fortwo Cabriolet. The 488 GTB wins the Red Dot award The V8 sports car named "Best of the Best" Maranello, 30 March 2016 – The 488 GTB has won the Red Dot Best of the Best award for its design and innovative lines. This is the latest in string of plaudits garnered by the Ferrari Style Centre which also picked up several IF Design Awards in Munich, Germany, at the start of the month. On the latter occasion, the big winner was the FXX K (Red Dot Best of the Best 2015) which took home the Gold Award, the Hannover institute's top prize. However, the 488 GTB and 488 Spider also scored a double whammy at the same event with a Design Excellence Award apiece.