2014 Kia Forte Koup Ex on 2040-cars

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Hyundai Kia asked to pay $28.9M in patent infringement case

After years of litigation, Hyundai and Kia have lost their hybrid technology patent infringement case against Paice LLC. The jury ordered the South Korean automakers to pay $28.9 million, but according to Bloomberg, because the violation was allegedly intentional, the judge could triple that amount. The automakers have announced plans to appeal the ruling. Paice's patent dates from 1994 on a piece of tech called the Hyperdrive, and it was a way to seamlessly switch between power from an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. This lawsuit was first filed in 2012 and covered the systems in the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Kia Optima Hybrid. According to Bloomberg, the companies tried to argue that the patent was no longer valid, but the strategy failed. "Hyundai strongly believes its position and will appeal any remaining adverse findings to the Federal Circuit," the company said in a statement to Autoblog. Paice is certainly no stranger to litigating over the Hyperdrive patent, though. It and Toyota had a similar court battle that lasted years. Eventually, there was a settlement, and the result was Paice getting royalties for each hybrid that the Japanese automaker sold. Similarly, there's a lawsuit pending against Ford over tech in the C-Max, Fusion, and Lincoln MKZ. Hyundai Statement: Hyundai believes that the verdict returned by the jury today in the matter of Paice v. Hyundai Motor Company et al., is not supported by the evidence. Accordingly, Hyundai has requested that the presiding judge enter a judgment in its favor notwithstanding the verdict. Hyundai strongly believes its position and will appeal any remaining adverse findings to the Federal Circuit.

Kia recalls over 50k new Soul compacts over steering issue

Kia is recalling certain 2014 models of its adorable Soul due to a bad adhesive used in the steering system. According to the bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the "thread-locking adhesive" that attaches the plug between the pinion gear and steering gear assembly could come loose.
Should that happen, the condition could lead to a "loss of steering," which, of course increases the likelihood of a crash. The 51,641 affected cars were built between July 21, 2013 and January 17, 2014. There have been no reported accidents, let alone injuries or deaths due to this issue.
Kia is in the process of notifying owners of the affected vehicles as well as dealers in possession of the faulty Souls.

2021 Kia Sedona's new look revealed as Korean-market Carnival

Last week, Kia showed teaser sketches of the next-generation Carnival, which we'll get as the 2021 Kia Sedona. Now the company has released actual photos of the minivan with the Carnival nameplate. No other information about powertrains or features have been announced, but there's plenty in the design to take a look at. Overall, the Sedona has a boxy, upright design seemingly more inspired by crossovers than traditional minivans. The low ride height and tall body do give it away as a van, though. Other crossover design cues include the faux skid plate panels on the front and rear bumpers. Look closer, and you find some really fascinating details across the van. At the front, you find an intricate variation on the Kia "Tiger Nose" grille with intersecting chrome diamonds. You'll also find that the LED running lights run out from the headlights and down the lower section of the grille surround. Hidden just inside the grille are the high beams for the headlights, and the lights each have chrome eyebrows. Along the side, a strong shoulder line blends into the door sliders, and the C-pillar is the most prominent of any modern Kia. It has a sort of chrome or aluminum finish with a light diamond cross-hatched pattern molded into it. At the back, there's a full-width taillight housing with LED elements. In the middle section, there are little chrome highlights just behind the red plastic adding another fine detail to admire. As previously mentioned, Kia only revealed photos of the new van, and no information on what's powering it or what other features it will have. It could continue using the 276-horsepower 3.3-liter V6 in the current Sedona, or it could upgrade to the 291-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 from the Telluride. There's also the possibility of using a turbocharged four-cylinder or possibly both a four-cylinder and a V6 depending on trim levels. We should know more closer to the on-sale date. It goes on sale first in South Korea at the end of the year's third quarter and other markets some time after. Related Video: