2011 Kia Ex on 2040-cars

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2021 Kia K5 Review | New look, new name, still a value leader

The 2021 Kia K5 replaces the long-running Kia Optima as the brand’s midsize family sedan, and it brings with it bold, aggressive exterior styling and a seriously comfortable driving experience. Not only that, itÂ’s a good value compared to the competition. And while it does sacrifice some sportiness for its comfort, Kia will introduce a high-performance GT model by the end of the year that should rectify the lack of driving excitement. There are some sedans on the market with a slightly better blend of sportiness and comfort, such as one of our favorites, the Honda Accord, as well as the gracefully aging Mazda6, but the KiaÂ’s strong points are enough to make it a must-see for midsize car shoppers. What's new for 2020? The Kia K5 is a new model introduced this year, but it could certainly be considered the next-generation Optima with a name change. 2021 Kia K5 GT-Line View 17 Photos What's the K5's interior and in-car technology like? While the K5's exterior is bold and aggressive, the interior is less in-your-face. ThatÂ’s not to say it isnÂ’t still stylish, though. The dashboard has a unique design with separate levels that gives it some visual interest. On most models, you get aluminum-look trim on the dash and doors, but the EX features fairly convincing matte-finish faux wood trim. The plastics are all high-quality with a welcome number of soft touch surfaces and interesting, attractive patterns. The instruments and infotainment screen occupy a large monolith in front of the driver and the center of the dash. The gauges are analog with a display nestled between them. The standard infotainment touchscreen is an 8-inch unit (in the photos above) flanked by physical shortcut buttons and knobs. It's the same system that Kia has used for several years, which is easy to use but a bit dated in appearance. Available as an option on the GT-Line and EX is a 10.25-inch screen (pictured below). ItÂ’s larger and features updated graphics that are nicer to look at, but it functions similarly. ThatÂ’s not a bad thing. Instead of normal shortcut buttons, this system also picks up touch-sensitive shortcut controls rather than physical buttons. Quite simply, they don't function as well and we're glad the climate control sticks with traditional buttons and knobs regardless of infotainment system. Also worth noting is that seating accommodations are quite comfortable. The front seats in particular are thickly cushioned with gentle bolstering.

Kia hatches sporty wagon concept for Frankfurt Motor Show

Kia pulled the covers off a new unnamed concept car that will debut Sept. 12 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It's a sleek hatchback that previews Kia's direction for the next-generation Cee'd model sold in Europe. This concept is longer, sportier and has more of a sport wagon dynamic than the current Cee'd, which is a homely runabout for the Continent. This concept was conceived at Kia's design center in Frankfurt, Germany, which sits 500 meters, or about 5 1/2 football fields from the Frankfurt Motor Show. No other details were immediately available, but Kia has a history of revealing striking concepts and using elements of them in production models. Kia has also increasingly mined its European design studio for top stylings as it elevates the profile of the brand globally. Meanwhile, Kia will also show the Stonic small crossover in Frankfurt, a vehicle that's a sibling to the Hyundai Kona. IHS Markit, an automotive research firm, forecasts the Stonic will sell about 118,300 units — its peak level — in 2019 as Kia capitalizes on the compact utility trend. Related Video: Design/Style Frankfurt Motor Show Kia Hatchback Wagon Frankfurt 2017 kia ceed

Honda, Hyundai and Kia get best word-of-mouth recommendations in US

Forget advertising, incentives and, yes, even our excellently crafted vehicle reviews, sometimes the best way for automakers to sell cars is still good ol' fashioned word of mouth. In an attempt to measure this "word of mouth" power, The Boston Consulting Group, a management consulting firm, has created a new study called the Brand Advocacy Index (BAI). The index takes a look at how various industries perform from person to person. Those industries include automotive, smartphones, grocery, mobile telecommunications and banking.
The study polled more than 32,000 individuals across Europe and in the US to come up with the top 55 brands in these various industries. On the automotive side of things, the top brands in the US were Honda, Hyundai and Kia, all tied at 63 percent. On a global scale, Volkswagen and Toyota scored the highest with a 65-percent BAI rating (both in France). The average BAI for auto industry players tallied 50 percent.
As for companies in other industries, Apple's iPhone was the index's top-rated smartphone, Trader Joe's was the highest recommended grocery store, Virgin was sat atop the mobile telecom industry and USAA was the top retail bank. Scroll down for the full press release on the new study.