2013 Kia Optima Lx on 2040-cars

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Kia Sportage first spy shots show compact crossover gets a facelift

Here are the first spy photos for the refreshed Kia Sportage SUV. Still heavily camouflaged both front and rear, the vehicle does show some changes under the masking. One thing is that the daytime running lights are moving from the front bumper's side intakes into the headlights, possibly mirroring the halo sportback Stinger's light clusters. The front bumper design is expected to get redesigned, as well as the rear; the rear lights now have a different graphic compared to the current motif. The interior and safety equipment can also be expected to receive improvements, as the current QL generation has been with us since 2015, and it needs to stay on top of its game. The 2017 car has an overall five-star rating from the IIHS, with only the headlights getting a poor rating. No word has been uttered about any changes in the four-cylinder drivetrain, except there are some rumors about a 48-volt mild hybrid joining the Sportage powerplant ranks. Related Video: Featured Gallery Kia Sportage spy photos View 12 Photos Spy Photos Kia Crossover SUV kia sportage

Hyundai and Kia set aside $412 million for false mileage claims

We still don't know how the whole fuel economy ratings debacle is going to play out for Hyundai and Kia, but both automakers are preparing to make good on their promises to reimburse vehicle owners for lower-than-promised mileage figures. According to Automotive News, Hyundai and Kia have set aside a combined total of $412 million ($225 million for Hyundai and $187 million for Kia) as compensation, which will be sent out on a case-by-case basis via debit cards depending on the vehicle and the mileage driven.
Announced back in November, the exaggerated miles per gallon claims affect around 900,000 Kia and Hyundai products produced for the 2011 through 2013 model years sold in the US and Canada. This whole deal has had plenty of action ranging from suspected whistleblowing from a rival US automaker and even insider trading, but it has probably been most frustrating for vehicle owners who, in most cases, saw their vehicles' city and highway ratings drop between one and three digits.

Hyundai and Kia to invest in self-driving startup Aurora

Hyundai Motor Co said on Thursday it would invest in self-driving car software startup Aurora along with Kia Motors Corp to speed up development of autonomous vehicle technologies. "With the new investment, the companies have agreed to expand research to a wide range of models and to build an optimal platform for Hyundai and Kia's autonomous vehicles," Hyundai said. Aurora said in a blog post that Hyundai and Kia's investment is part of a series B financing round, which has now raised more than $600 million. Aurora, which just announced a partnership with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, competes with Alphabet's Waymo and General Motors' majority-owned Cruise, among others. (Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler)