2015 Kia Sorento on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Kia Hotbots come back out to play with 2014 Forte

Kia is bringing back its so-called "hotbots," the slightly disturbing female robots that traipse about the uncanny valley while hustling the new Forte and "respecting the tech," for three new, humorous animated spots.
The Hotbots first debuted during Kia's latest Super Bowl spot, which followed the debut of the 2014 Forte sedan at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. Each new spot follows the premise of the two originals, with the hotbots protecting the Forte while the oblivious owner stands by. Take a look at all three ads below, along with the two originals that kicked the series off.

Kia Stinger will be getting more power for 2021

The 2021 Kia Stinger will get more oomph when it arrives later this year, but a new report says the tweaks will come from modifications to its existing powertrain, not a new option atop the range. The report from Australian site CarSales, which cites anonymous sources close to the automaker, appears to throw cold water on rumors that the Stinger would get the 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 from the new Genesis G80 sedan, which delivers 380 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque. The report says that the G80's 304-hp 2.5-liter turbo-four will not be coming to Australia as a replacement for the Stinger’s base 255-hp 2.0-liter turbo-four, and we would doubt it would for the United States, either.  In its range-topping models, the Stinger's 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 offers 365 hp and 376 lb-ft. CarSales reports that engine will be juiced for more power by tweaking its bimodal exhaust. Unspecified design and equipment changes are also reportedly due. Now in its third year on the market, the Stinger turned a lot of heads when it debuted in 2017 at the Detroit auto show, and a long-term test version of the 2018 Stinger GT impressed Autoblog editors. It has failed to catch fire with buyers, but a performance-oriented premium sedan/hatchback made by Kia was always going to be a sales success long shot.  During the first three months of 2020, Kia sold 2,560 Stingers in the United States, down nearly 21%. Sales in 2019, when there was no global pandemic to skew numbers, totaled 13,861, down 17.5%. Kia discontinued the Premium trim packages for 2020. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Car buyers are paying big money for technology they don't use

J.D. Power released the results of its Tech Experience Index study that measures "how much owners like [in-car] technologies and how many problems they experience with them." Among the study's findings, automakers are loading vehicles with more software and digital experiences that owners claim they never learn how to use or decide they don't need. For example, owners report to J.D. Power that gesture controls, like those used by BMW (spinning a finger, for instance, can raise or lower the audio volume), don't improve the overall ownership experience. In fact, gesture controls received the lowest overall satisfaction score in the study for a second consecutive year. In another example, the study found that 61% of owners claim never having used "in-vehicle digital market technology," while 51% of respondents said they didn't need it. Driver/passenger communication technology was another sore point with users, with 52% saying they have never used the technology, and 40% of those saying they have no need for it. (10 Features owners say they want, and 7 they really don't). Conversely, some technologies are well received by owners. For American owners, rear-view cameras and so-called "ground view" cameras were among the top three desired technologies. We assume that "ground view" is a surround-view or 360-degree camera system. The one-pedal driving possible in a number of EV's with adjustable regen braking also scored very high marks and few claimed issues.  While it could be argued that owners who don't want to use a specific piece of technology should just avoid using it, the reality is that all of these unused features add cost to the final price of any vehicle. Considering that the average transaction price of a new vehicle hit a record $45,031 in September of 2021, controlling spiraling costs is a big deal. J.D. Power's survey results found that dealerships can play a big role in explaining new technology to buyers. Scores for some technologies like trailer assistance received higher scores from owners who received training from their dealers. Unfortunately, 71% of owners say they were taught how to use tech from outside sources whereas only 30% learned from a dealer. The results of this study are the product of responses from 110,827 owners of current model-year vehicles that J.D. Power surveyed after 90 days of ownership from February through July 2021.