2004 Kia Sorento Ex Sport Utility 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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2020 Kia Telluride picks up second highest Top Safety Pick award

The 2020 Kia Telluride has impressed us every time we've been behind the wheel. And now it has impressive safety scores. The IIHS tested the large crossover, and it earned the second-highest rating of Top Safety Pick, just behind the Top Safety Pick + rating. In every crash test, including small-offset crashes, the Telluride received the highest "Good" rating. The standard forward collision prevention also received the highest "Superior" score since it provided adequate warning and stopped the car from colliding with a vehicle in front of it at speeds up to 25 mph. What kept the Telluride from the Top Safety Pick + rating was headlight performance, which has tripped up so many other vehicles. The base model's halogen headlights were given the lowest "Poor" rating, and the higher-trim LED headlights got the second highest score of "Acceptable." Headlights with "Good" performance are required for Top Safety Pick + rating. Also worth noting is the child seat LATCH anchor access, which was also rated as "Acceptable." As for the Telluride's competition, the Honda Pilot, Mazda CX-9, Toyota Highlander, Hyundai Santa Fe XL and Nissan Pathfinder all share the same Top Safety Pick rating. Only the Subaru Ascent tops them as a Top Safety Pick +. Going down slightly in size, the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe also get the Top Safety Pick + rating.

Goes Both Ways: Free-trade pact sees South Korean brands losing share at home

France has been vocal, but not alone, in noting the rise of the South Korean automakers in Europe. The signing of a free-trade pact in 2011 between South Korea and the EU, along with the especially value-conscious buyers in a crisis-stricken Europe, has seen market share increases measuring in the double digits for Hyundai and Kia - analysts expect 14-percent growth for the two in 2012.
A report in Bloomberg has found that there's pain at the other end, too: The pact more than halved import tariffs on European cars headed to South Korea to 3.2 percent, and prices are now close enough to domestic offerings for more South Koreans to pay the premium for foreign luxury nameplates and the cachet they confer. Products sold by the five domestic automakers hogged 92 percent of the market last year, and sales have dropped 5.2 percent this year whereas import sales have risen by 24 percent. This will mark the first year that imports claimed ten percent of the market; compare that to 2002, when domestic market share in the world's 11th largest auto market was 99 percent.
The Germans are at the head of the arrow, counting for 65 percent of imported car sales, but every foreign maker has seen double-digit gains. Analysts think foreign makes could ultimately grab 15 percent of the market.

2019 Kia Forte First Drive Review | Slow, but steady

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Kia is in the midst of an sea change. The Stinger's release has shifted the brand's focus away from simply being rebadged Hyundais, giving the Korean automaker a new identity. The Soul and Niro have been solid and unique products, but one or two cars aren't enough to move the needle, especially in the eyes of the public. Our long-term 2018 Kia Stinger GT is a fantastic car, but it still gets plenty of "that's a Kia?" comments out in public. If Kia wants to reinvent itself in this new image, every product is going to have to look and feel as if it was cut from the same cloth. For 2019, the Kia Forte is entering its third generation, having debuted a decade ago as replacement for the Spectra. Like the previous two models, the new Forte shares more than a little with its corporate sibling, the Hyundai Elantra. Kia claims the Forte is more than just an Elantra with handsome new sheetmetal, with some minor updates and changes underneath the skin. There are some allusions to the Stinger in the Forte's design — thin, sweptback headlights, a wide lower air intake up front and full-width taillights in the rear. Both cars are also sprinkled with a number of black accents. It's clean and more distinctive than the recently refreshed but still conservative Elantra. The Forte's interior is less Stinger and more Optima — not quite as bold as the exterior might suggest, but purposeful. There are the practical details that make a difference: small spaces for your phone, sunglasses and more. The Honda Civic offers more, but the Forte is near the top of its class. Like the Elantra, the Forte's seats are comfortable and well positioned, though I do wish there were a little more thigh bolstering. Base models come with cloth, though heated and ventilated leather seats are standard on the top-tier EX trim. The EX also comes with two USB ports and an optional wireless charger. Fit and finish are impressive, too. There was nary a rattle or panel gap to be found. Kia's focus on improved noise and vibration was immediately evident, too. Both wind and road noise were both mild, with just a little bit of sound coming from the car's A-pillars. The chassis has been stiffened significantly compared to the Elantra, and it definitely comes across on the road. The overall impression inside is that it looks and feels as well-built as anything coming from Japan and better than some of the Americans. Unfortunately, things aren't quite as rosy when you get moving.