2014 Kia Forte Ex on 2040-cars

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Small 3-row crossover SUVs specifications compared on paper

There's no shortage of three-row vehicles on the market for carrying seven or more people and their stuff wherever they all need to go. Just about every car company has at least one large crossover or traditional SUV with three rows of seats, and there are still plenty of minivans to pick from. But most of these vehicles are large, pricey, and frequently thirsty. Fortunately, there are still a handful of smaller crossovers that deliver 7-passenger capability in a smaller, cheaper package. We've gathered four of the small three-row set here to compare them based on space, power, fuel economy, pricing, and more. They include the very old Dodge Journey, the slightly less old Mitsubishi Outlander and Kia Sorento, and the relatively new Volkswagen Tiguan. You can see the raw numbers in the chart below, followed by a more detailed breakdown and some notes on how we like each of these vehicles. For in-depth opinions on the vehicles, be sure to check out our full reviews, and if you want to compare these with other vehicles, try out our comparison tools. Engines, transmissions and performance Interestingly, three of the four crossovers here utilize similar engines for their four-cylinder offerings. The Dodge, Kia and Mitsubishi all feature naturally aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines. Only the Volkswagen Tiguan chooses turbocharging and a smaller 2.0-liter displacement. But because of its turbocharger, the Tiguan's four-cylinder is easily the most potent, making a healthy 221 pound-feet of torque, which is more than 40 more than the Sorento, the crossover with the next most torque. The VW is also second-most powerful, just one horse behind the Sorento. The Outlander is the least powerful in the four-cylinder class. The Journey is only barely better, but it will probably feel as slow or worse thanks to its ancient 4-speed automatic. The four-cylinder Sorento and Outlander each have 6-speed automatic transmissions, and the VW has an 8-speed. The Sorento with a V6 has an 8-speed, too. View 17 Photos Moving up to the V6 class, the Outlander is once again at the bottom. It actually makes less torque than the turbo VW Tiguan. The Journey and Sorento are almost perfectly matched. The Journey makes a bit more torque; the Sorento makes a bit more power. The Journey also gets upgraded to a 6-speed automatic. Another powertrain consideration to bare in mind is whether all-wheel-drive is necessary.

Hyundai and Kia announce $3.1-billion investment in US facilities

Update: A US spokesperson for Hyundai had no further information, but called the reports about the automaker's investments accurate. Hyundai and Kia announced this morning a plan to invest $3.1 billion into its US facilities over the next five years. According to Automotive News, the new investment is a 50-percent increase over what Korea's two largest automakers have brought to the US in the last five years. The automakers already have several large-scale manufacturing bases in the US, but the new investment could bring another plant into the fold. There is the possibility of producing a Genesis product in the US or building a new plant for a US-specific crossover. The announcement is the latest US investment plan as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office Friday. Trump has singled out automakers for not building cars in the United States, and Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler all announced plans to invest in the US since the beginning of January. Skeptics say these moves would have to be years in the making, though Trump has been quick to take credit for them. Not all of the new money will go toward building new plants. Hyundai and Kia could simply expand the already busy plants in Montgomery, AL, and West Point, GA. Beyond that. The automakers could further their research into electric and autonomous vehicles. Like many other automakers, the two Korean giants have backed down from planned expansions into Mexican manufacturing. Although many automakers currently build or were planning to build new vehicles in Mexico, threats of importation fees appear to be causing caused automakers to refocus some of their efforts toward US production. With all this new investment in the US, Kia and Hyundai said there will be no jobs moved to Mexico. Meanwhile, this morning GM announced plans to bring truck axle manufacturing back from Mexico. As with all of the recent announcements, Hyundai and Kia stated that Trump's upcoming presidency played no part in the decision to reinvest in the US. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News Plants/Manufacturing Genesis Hyundai Kia Mexico Trump jobs investment

2018 Kia Stinger GT Long-Term Update | It's a hatch!

Our long-term 2018 Kia Stinger GT is a lovely sedan. We've talked a bit about what it's like to live with day-to-day and just how well the GT badge fits on a car like this. It's racked up more than 10,000 miles in the few months it's been in our fleet. I'm personally hoping we can crest 20,000 miles before its year with us is up. The sleek design (both inside and out), sharp handling and peppy 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 might get all the attention, but people tend to forget it's practical, too. Just look at that cargo area! I sometimes forget that most people don't spend all day and night thinking about cars, poring over photos and spec sheets like we do. When I posted a photo on Twitter last month, one commenter seemed quite surprised to realize that the Stinger had a hatch rather than a trunk. It's one of my favorite things about this car, but it seems it's not common knowledge. If we can't get a true wagon, hatches like the Stinger, the Porsche Panamera and Audi A5/S5/RS5 Sportback are great alternatives. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The Stinger has 23.3 cubic feet of space with the seats up, though Kia doesn't list the area with the seats down. For reference, the Kia Optima has 15.9 cubic-feet in its trunk. Winter in Detroit sucks, and the Stinger GT's standard Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires aren't ideal for sub-freezing temperatures. Nokian Tyres was kind enough to donate a set of Hakkapeliitta studless winter tires for the Stinger (more on those in another post soon). When the tires arrived, I put the seats down and threw all four in the back of the car and took it to the tire shop. I had to remove the sun shade, but that was the only real fitment issue. About a week later, just before Christmas, Amazon dropped the price on a 55-inch TV I've had my eye on for months. I placed my order and had it shipped to our office lest package thieves steal it from my porch. I wasn't sure it would fit in the Stinger, but it was just about perfect. Another half inch and I would have needed our long-term Honda Ridgeline. Related Video: