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Kia Niro EV concept coming to CES

Kia announced that it will show a new electric concept car at this year's Consumer Electronics Show. The announcement didn't explicitly say what the vehicle is, but that's fine, because the teaser images above reveal the car's "secret" identity. At the back of the car are bright glowing letters spelling out the name "Niro EV." Even without seeing the name, the images make it pretty clear this is a Niro of some sort. The profile fits the production hybrid and plug-in hybrid production cars, especially the upright and wide rear hatch. It also has the Niro's distinct hood with twin creases above the headlights. There are a number of styling changes, though, mainly up front. The headlights look to be more swept back and have LED strakes for style. The taillights mirror this design, and they add a center portion between the main elements to make the lights full width. Additional three-pointed fog lights are also added front and rear. The grille at the front is no longer a grille, instead now featuring a bunch of little lights. This may have something to do with the "motion graphic" lighting technology Kia will show on the car, since it looks like the pattern and intensity could change. The shape of this faux grille panel also looks wider and slimmer than that on the production Niro. On the topic of production Niros, we wouldn't be surprised if this full EV Niro makes it to market. The Niro is based on the Hyundai Ioniq, which itself offers normal hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and full electric variants. And since the Niro is already available in hybrid and plug-in versions, a full EV would round out the model nicely. It wouldn't be without work, since the electric version of the Ioniq has a torsion bar suspension rather than the multi-link setup in the hybrid Ioniqs and Niros in order to fit the larger battery pack, but it's far from impossible. Stay tuned for more info on the concept and any news on a production version. Related Video:

Kia debuts the compact Seltos crossover in Delhi

The Kia Seltos has had an unusual gestation, with two concepts, exterior sketches, interior sketches, an effective reveal during a photo shoot, a christening via mythology and more teasers. Even so, since the Kia Seltos small crossover began as last year's SP concept for the Indian market, it's fitting Kia hosted the production model's debut in Delhi. We're still missing a few details, like the look of the production interior and drivetrain options, but we have a bit more to go on. The detailing and materials are what could set the Seltos apart in the segment. The overall lines are familiar, however, Kia designers have worked to make those lines lyric instead of prosaic. The front fascia's been defined by three transverse metallic-look pieces shaping the upper and lower forms. The wide tiger-nose grille gets bracketed by crisp splashes of color with the LED headlights and intricate turn signals. The rear end's creasing, shadow and metallic effects are bounded by LED taillights and more "3D multi-layer indicators." We've seen renderings of the interior and know to expect a 10.25-inch infotainment screen atop the instrument panel. That screen display can be split up to show three infotainment applications at once. Kia says there will be an available eight-inch heads-up display on a glass panel behind the steering wheel. Optional eight-speaker Bose audio can pump tunes that guide the optional Sound Mood Lighting, which uses ambient lighting to create a light show timed to the beat. Indian buyers will have a choice of a 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder with 175 horsepower, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 147 hp, and a 1.6-liter diesel four with 134 hp. Kia didn't specify how the transmission options will be assigned, but the selection includes a seven-speed dual-clutch, a six-speed automatic, and a CVT. A three-mode driving selector offers Eco, Normal, and Sport. The Kia release said "Sport mode increases responses from steering and electric motor to maximize the dynamic driving feel." As there's no mention of hybridization, we wonder if the electric motor refers to the electrically-assisted power steering, or something else. Wheel choices for India start with 16-inch alloys on 205/60 rubber, moving on to 17-inchers on 215/55 rubber, topping out at 18-inch wheels on 235/45 tires. In one of the interior drawings, we noted buttons that appeared to control all-wheel drive, hill descent control, and a locking rear differential.

Wards names its 2015 10 Best Interiors list

Wards Automotive has named the winners of its 10 Best Interior awards, covering a wide but affordable array of vehicles. Where last year's list contained two six-figure vehicles, including the $372,800 Rolls-Royce Wraith, this year's is, well, a whole lot more reasonable. The publication lists the Mercedes-Benz C400 at $65,000 (which seems off), making it the most expensive vehicle here. That said, we'd argue that the entire C-Class line deserves to make this year's list, owing to its varied and high-quality selection of materials. The other vehicle to break the $60,000 mark, meanwhile, is the $60,675 Ford F-150 King Ranch, which has 327,000 pounds of leather lining its interior. Only one other German car, the BMW i3, and one other pickup truck, the GMC Canyon, managed to make this year's list. Here's the full list of this year's winners: 2014 BMW i3 ($52,550) 2015 Chrysler 300C Platinum ($51,175) 2015 Ford F-150 King Ranch ($60,675) 2015 GMC Canyon SLT ($40,465) 2015 Honda Fit EX-L ($21,590) 2015 Jeep Renegade Limited ($33,205) 2015 Kia Sedona SXL ($43,295) 2016 Mazda6 Grand Touring ($33,395) 2015 Mercedes C400 ($65,000) 2015 Nissan Murano SL ($41,905) See what we mean about the mainstream vehicles? Not only is there a distinct lack of luxury brands, it's the price of some of the vehicles that surprise. The Honda Fit, Jeep Renegade and Mazda6 are very reasonably priced, especially when you compare Wards price with the starting price. The Renegade Limited starts at less than $25,000, the Mazda at less than $22K and the Fit at under $16,000. Head over to Wards for a more detailed explanation of why each vehicle won. Featured Gallery 2015 Ward's Automotive 10 Best Interiors View 10 Photos News Source: Wards Automotive BMW Chrysler Ford GMC Honda Jeep Kia Mazda Mercedes-Benz Nissan Truck Crossover Hatchback Sedan nissan murano gmc canyon Interior jeep renegade WardsAuto kia sedona wards 10 best interiors mercedes c400