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Kia recalls 9,700 new Sorento models for potential front axle failures

Kia has announced a recall on the 2014 Sorento due to an issue that could lead to a broken right front driveshaft on certain models. Only models equipped with the 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive are affected by the campaign.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that Sorento models built between January 7 through March 12 of this year may experience broken axle shafts that could lead to loss of power or cause the vehicle to roll if parked. According to the Detroit Free Press, a total of close to 9,700 units are being recalled, but that number is closer to 9,300 for customers in the US.
Kia says that it has had one incident with an internal vehicle that experienced a separated axle shaft in addition to 10 related warranty claims, but it says no accidents or injuries have been reported. The recall campaign will begin next month. Scroll down for the NHTSA recall notice as well as an official statement from Kia.

Autoblog fan favorite car ads from Super Bowl XLIX

Super Bowl XLIX is in the books, and the New England Patriots emerged victorious. Of course, if you're like us, the big game wasn't so much about the battle between the east coast and west, so much as a fight between the world's automotive advertisers. We collected and collated all of last night's new ads and put them together for you to vote on. And yes, we're limiting this year's contest to last night's new features. That's why you aren't seeing Dodge's epic Wisdom among our collection of commercials, and it's a similar story with Chevrolet's Truck Guy Focus Group series, which highlights the new Colorado. You can still vote for your favorites. We won't be closing the voting on our Super Bowl page, so while the winners and losers are correct as of this writing, it's entirely possible that there could be some changes in the rankings as time goes on. So, without any further ado, here are the winning ads based on your voting. Nissan: With Dad Fiat: Ready For Action Jeep: Beautiful Lands BMW: Newfangled Idea Mercedes-Benz: Fable NASCAR: America Start Your Engines As for those ads that failed to impact you, loyal readers, Toyota was the absolute, undisputed loser. The Japanese brand ran four ads in total – two for Toyota and two for Lexus – and all of them have negative tallies as of this writing. Lexus' Make Some Noise and Lets Play and Toyota's One Bold Choice and My Bold Dad both had very weak showings among the commercials that aired, although they weren't alone. Neither Mazda nor Kia scored particularly well, despite featuring celebrity magic act Penn and Teller and former James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, respectively. Chevrolet was the winner of the losers, as of our writing, recording the fewest downvotes for its audience-punking The Big Game ad. If you want to take a second look at the losing ads, you can head back to our Super Bowl page for the complete collection. But for now, head into Comments and let us know what you think of the results.

Kia boss details 5-year plan to overhaul brand with EVs front and center

Kia's new boss has detailed an aggressive, $25 billion plan to electrify much of its lineup by 2025 and change its brand image. Hosung Song, promoted to President in March, wants to move faster than parent company Hyundai into EVs and PBVs, or purpose-built vehicles, better suited to how he believes cars will be used in the future. In an interview with Automotive News, Song said that Kia's "Plan S" will offer 11 electric-only models by mid-decade, comprising 6.6% of the global EV market share and generating 20% of Kia's own sales. By then, Song believes the total cost of ownership for electric and internal combustion cars will be about the same, as ICEs require more maintenance and fuel costs are projected to rise. Not only that, but by 2026 Song wants Kia to sell half a million battery-electric vehicles, as well as another half-million hybrids, PHEVs and other "green" offerings. By 2027, Kia will have seven models powered exclusively by electrons. Then, by 2029, a full quarter of Kia's sales will be from EVs. As for PBVs, Kia describes them as vehicles specifically designed for ride-hailing services, as autonomous taxis and e-commerce delivery-bots. They will be used primarily in urban centers and feature autonomous tech, as cities around the world change the rules for cars and car ownership. The new plans dovetail with Kia's desire to appeal to a younger customer base. However, Song told AN that he also wants to move the brand upmarket, which may conflict with the utilitarian, robo-taxi image that PBVs will foster. Finally, ushering in this new era will be a revamped Kia logo. According to AN, Kia will dispense with the name-in-an-oval badge that has been in use since 1994. Instead, the new branding will resemble the stylized name, sans oval, found on the Kia Imagine concept revealed at Geneva in 2019. As for the "S" in Plan S, Kia says that it stands for "shift," as in a shift "from a business system focused on internal combustion engine vehicles toward one centered on electric vehicles and customized mobility solutions." Related Video: