2022 Kia Seltos Nightfall on 2040-cars

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2015 Sedona shows Kia hasn't given up on minivans

Is it weird that one of the most exciting vehicles to arrive at the 2014 New York Auto Show is a minivan? Well, yeah, it's pretty odd. Still, with the design direction from Peter Schreyer, not to mention Kia's traditionally aggressive pricing, excellent warranty and solid list of high-end equipment, the new, 2015 Sedona could end up being a big winner for the Korean brand.
The design, which shares a lot of the styling that's been instigated by Schreyer since he joined Kia, looks just as good when shaped like a minivan. The grille and headlights clearly tie the Sedona to the likes of the Cadenza and K900, while features like its higher beltline and simple-but-stylish back end should do well with minivan buyers.
At first glance we aren't too enthused by the interior on the largest Kia, however. The dash looks rather plasticky, although the color scheme at work is pretty attractive. Of course, we'll need to get the big van out from under the auto show lights to render a final judgment on the cabin materials. On the space and versatility fronts, though, the Sedona looks like a winner. It will be available in either seven- or eight-passenger configurations, while the Captain's chairs on the seven-seat layout offer an ottoman that should make it even easier for the kids to fall asleep on family road trips.

2020 Kia Cadenza shows its new face in mid-cycle refresh

When we drove the all-new 2017 Kia Cadenza a few years back, our main takeaway was that "it's fine." There was nothing particularly remarkable about it, but it's a solid sedan. With the facelifted and refreshed 2020 Cadenza just revealed today, Kia looks like it's reaching a bit more, in an attempt to move beyond general goodness. The 2020 Kia Cadenza, teased last week, takes a stab at bold design. A concave V-shaped grille is the main styling element up front, as our eyes constantly drift to that funky chrome every time we examine the car. It looks like Kia was just riffing off the old grille, and decided to make it bigger while adding in a crease. Those headlights are new, too. They're much narrower and smaller than the old units, and we think they help the face of the new car tremendously. Kia attacked the rear of the Cadenza in a similar fashion. The taillights now stretch across the entire rear of the sedan, connected by an interesting dashed line coming in from both sides and meeting in the middle. It's just another example of Hyundai/Kia designing taillights with a sense of style. We're reminded of the new Hyundai Sonata that went in a bold new path itself at the NY Auto Show. Changes to the interior are relatively significant for just a mid-cycle refresh. There's a new, widescreen 12.3-inch touchscreen that forced a new air vent layout. Along with the rethought center stack, the center console gets changed up with a new gear shift lever and button/storage layout below that. It all comes off as a much more premium design than before. Adding further to that motif is a digital gauge cluster seen on this model. The Cadenza is supposed to be a luxurious sedan, and Kia is certainly answering the call with added tech on the interior. Unfortunately, we're still in the dark from a powertrain perspective. The Cadenza is currently offered in the U.S. exclusively paired to a 3.3-liter V6 and eight-speed automatic transmission. This reveal today was for the Korean-spec K7, (same as our Cadenza), so U.S. powertrain options remain unspoken. We'll expect details on the U.S. spec car to drop before the end of the year, and for this model to go on sale later in 2019 or sometime in 2020.

2014 Kia Soul gets new 'Totally Transformed' hamster commercial

The lovable, anthropomorphic hamsters from Kia are known for electronic dance music, head bopping, and of course, a certain funktastic Korean box-on-wheels. With a new Soul on the way, the adorable rodents need to be ready to appear alongside the resculpted crossover. Only one thing could get them ready in time - cue the training montage.
The commercial, called Totally Transformed, features Lady Gaga playing in the background, along with gratuitous footage of the hamsters shedding some weight. The Kia designers also get some attention, as they're hard at work designing the hamsters' new ride. Take a look below for the full, 91-second spot.