2014 Kia Optima Sx on 2040-cars

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2014 Kia Sorento

For most new car shoppers, three-row crossovers are little more than a way for the family-minded to avoid succumbing to the minivan stigma. Admit it - the only things that differentiate most larger CUVs from minivans are their lack of sliding side doors and - on most of them - the option of all-wheel drive. Having blossomed into a popular segment with thicker profit margins, though, automakers have plenty of incentive to keep their offerings fresh, and that's exactly why Kia is presenting its 2014 Sorento so soon.
At first glance, the crisply styled utility vehicle seen here appears to be nothing more than a mid-cycle refresh - and not a particularly extensive one, at that. But that's not the case at all. Despite looking very similar to the second-generation vehicle that came on the scene for the 2010 model year, this is an all-new Sorento. Or, more precisely, it's about 80-percent new. Kia says less than 20 percent of the parts have been carried over from the 2013 Sorento, and that's a pretty typical amount for an 'all-new' vehicle generation.
Since we've yet to spend quality time with the "Made in the USA" Sorento for more than a short First Drive in Arizona last February, we snagged the keys to a 2014 model in the all-new SX Limited trim level for a lengthy backroad sojourn from Florida to South Carolina.

2014 Kia Forte sedan priced from $15,900*

During our recent First Drive of the 2014 Kia Forte sedan, Kia revealed many of the sedan's specs, but left out pricing and fuel economy for its all-new compact sedan. With the new Forte set to hit dealerships soon, Kia has announced the starting prices for the sedan's two initial trim levels and released the fuel economy for the EX trim level equipped with the bigger engine. Marking a slight $500 jump in price over the current 2013 model, the 2014 Forte sedan will have a starting MSRP of $15,900 (*not including a destination charge of $800).
This price is for the base LX sedan with the 148-horsepower, 1.8-liter inline-four paired to the manual gearbox, but buyers wanting an automatic transmission will have to pony up an extra $1,500. Some of the notable features standard on the LX include Bluetooth and heated, power-folding door mirrors.
Stepping up to the EX trim level will run $19,400, but it also brings the peppier 2.0-liter direct-injected four-cylinder producing 173 horsepower and returning 24 miles per gallon in the city, 36 mpg highway and a combined rating of 28 mpg; Kia says these are EPA estimates, but the EPA's website does not yet list the 2014 Forte. Kia is still holding out on fuel economy for the base engine.

Ward's releases 10 Best Interiors list for 2014

While we're still a ways off from the automotive awards season proper, where things like North American Car and Truck of the Year, Motor Trend's Car of the Year and Car and Driver's Ten Best are named, that doesn't mean there aren't trophies being handed out to deserving automakers. Ward's 10 Best Interiors being one of them.
As the name might imply, the magazine focuses on the very best interior treatments in the US market. Whereas some awards purposely exclude extreme, high-dollar offerings, Ward's considers them - the only requirement is that a vehicle has a "new or significantly redesigned interior."
Ward's offered up the list of winners in simple, alphabetical order, and it only seems fair to do the same: