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Kia Sportage MSRP up by almost 14 percent for 2014, starting at $21,600*

When Kia introduced the updated 2014 Sportage back in September, one of the biggest things that stood out to us was that the base model was dropped. Not only did this mean the Sportage would no longer be offered with a manual gearbox, but we also expected a price increase to follow. We were right.
The entry-level trim for the 2014 Sportage is now the LX, which starts at $21,600 (not including $850 for destination). This is only a $400 increase over the 2013 Sportage LX, but it represents a $2,600 jump (13.6 percent) in the Sportage's starting price point. At this new price, the Sportage is now priced higher than the Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and lower than many other compact crossovers like the Ford Escape, Chevy Equinox, Nissan Rogue, Jeep Cherokee and Toyota RAV4. Pricing for the 2014 Sportage EX has increased by $800, starting at $25,000, while the sportier, turbocharged Sportage SX holds steady at $26,900.
In addition to other minor changes like slightly refreshed exterior styling, a sportier suspension setup for the LX trim level and more available cabin tech, the other key update made to the 2014 Sportage is the addition of direct injection to the base 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. This brings a slight bump in power output (from 176 horsepower and 168 pound-feet of torque in 2013 to 182 hp and 178 lb-ft for 2014), but, for some reason unknown to us, it dings fuel economy. With ratings of 21 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, the front-wheel-drive Sportage loses 2 mpg for the highway rating compared to 2013, while the all-wheel-drive model's 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway is a drop of 1 mpg for both figures.

2018 Kia Stinger GT Long-Term Review Update | Do we like the seats?

We've had our long-term 2018 Kia Stinger GT for over six months, which means we've all had a lot of seat time in the sports sedan. And those seats we've become so familiar with have stirred up some mixed opinions among the staff, which I discovered after voicing my personal dissatisfaction with the shape of the seats. In my experience, I've found the seats to offer too little lumbar support, and with short, flat bottom cushions that aren't angled to support my thighs. Managing Editor Greg Rasa and Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski agreed the seat bottom would be better if it was angled up more, but otherwise didn't have complaints about the shape. Korzeniewski also mentioned he doesn't care for aggressive lumbar support, so the Stinger seat felt fine in that regard. Editors both lighter and shorter than the aforementioned folks didn't have any complaints. Road Test Editor Reese Counts felt they were supportive enough with good adjustability. "I've got a bad back, but I was feeling fine when I got home," Counts said, referring to a road trip to St. Louis in the car. "They're not the best seats I've ever tested, but the fact that I don't think about them very much speaks for itself." Senior Producer Chris McGraw said: "I'm 5'7" and weigh 150 pounds on a good day, so I wasn't really pushing these seats to their limits. They were comfortable for long highway stretches and offered enough support when I decided to push the twin-turbo V6 while driving around some of West Michigan's curvy roads." There is something about the seats that drew near universal derision, though: the combination of interior and exterior colors. Our Stinger GT is red with a red interior, and Counts, Korzeniewski and Rasa were annoyed that the reds don't quite match. McGraw felt it was "a bit too much The Shining to me," a reference to the vivid red bathroom in the movie. I like lots of color, and wasn't put off by the mismatch, so was perfectly fine with the color scheme. No one actually disliked the red leather itself, though, and Rasa offered a solution we all could agree on, "Just don't get that combo." We all agreed the red interior would look excellent with contrasting exterior colors such as white, black and blue. And it seems that even Kia agrees, since it appears that the red-on-red combo is no longer offered on the Stinger. Related Video:

Why Kia doesn't need a premium brand

Hyundai's creation of the Genesis luxury brand means it and fellow Korean brand Kia have finally hit the mainstream in the U.S. – as far as products are concerned – after nearly three decades of trying. Which is about as long as it took Toyota and Nissan to roll out Lexus and Infiniti, respectively. It's history repeating itself. Genesis is supposed to be the way Hyundai's premium models get the respect they deserve, without carrying the baggage of a name associated with frugality. Hyundai has, in fact, built up a reputation over the last decade or so for cars that compete head-on with class leaders, rather than aim to be 90 percent as good for 75 percent of the price. And because Kia shares a number of components with Hyundai, its vehicles have also steadily become not only better mainstream vehicles, but have continued to aim higher than their price points. Does Kia need to follow now in its parent's steps with a prestige brand to market its most expensive models? I'm aware of the Kia K900, the company's deepest foray into luxury territory notably occupied by Lexus. Kia, however, has consistently been pushing this $60,000 full-size luxury sedan along with $0 down, low monthly payment lease deals. Turns out there really aren't many people looking for a full-size Kia luxury sedan. Or maybe they're just waiting to get it for $20,000 in a couple of years. Consider the K900 and Genesis when I convince you Kia already makes upscale cars to rival those with premium badges. They just don't happen to be its most expensive model. Shortly after Hyundai's announcement it would spin its luxury models off into the Genesis brand, I spent a few days with a 2016 Kia Sorento SXL. And I'm willing to call it a more convincing attempt to get people out of luxury cars than the K900. Driving the Sorento is not an emotional experience. You feel parental driving it, thinking you might've forgotten to pick your kids up until you remember you don't actually have kids. But after settling into the nicely stitched and perforated leather seats, you respect its comfort, quiet and amenities. The headliner is soft, the stitching on the dash top is convincingly real and everyone is impressed by the sharp graphics on the touchscreen and the slick powered shade that reveals an expansive glass roof. A Kia Sorento costing more than $46,000 sounds absurd until you wonder how much better an Acura MDX or Lexus RX350 is when those cost as much as $10,000 more.