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2020 Kia Soul gets funkier and adds a long-range Soul EV

The Kia Soul, the clear victor of the funky box fad of the mid-2000s, has been completely redesigned for the 2020 model year. It's still very square, but it's even funkier than before. The big, cute headlights of previous models have been swapped for a more futuristic, almost brooding set of slender lamps up top connected by a piece of plastic for a full-width look. They're supplemented by additional lights in large pods in the front bumper. There's a large grille in the bottom of the bumper, too. The overall nose is a bit more rounded, but the whole profile is about as upright as ever. The rear is completely vertical and retains vertical taillights that now have a wraparound look. The fenders don't visually protrude as much, but they're highlighted by deep creases around the wheel arches. There are an array of trims to pick from on the new Soul, some of which have significant style tweaks. LX, S and EX make up the basic Soul, with an EX Designer Edition offering up two-tone paint between the roof and body as well as big 18-inch wheels. The Kia Soul Turbo is replaced by the Soul GT-Line, which can be had with the turbo engine or the naturally aspirated engine. It has a much more aggressive front fascia with extra slots around the grille and side sill extensions with red accents. The turbo version gets center-exit exhaust, bigger brakes and stiffer suspension. Then there's the new X-Line that gives the Soul a crossover look with plastic body cladding, fender flares and fog lights. It also has two-tone paint as an option. 2020 Kia Soul View 11 Photos Despite all the design changes, the new Soul is almost exactly the same size as the old one. It's just over 2 inches longer, and adds a little over an inch between the wheels, but width and height are the same. Passenger space is nearly the same, too, giving or taking a couple tenths of an inch here and there. There is much more cargo space now, though, picking up an extra 5 cubic feet for a total of 23.8. The restyled interior also gets some nice new features such as customizable ambient lighting, an available 10.25-inch touchscreen and a heads-up display. There are three powertrains available for the Kia Soul, and only one is a carryover from the previous model. Starting at the bottom is the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine. This engine is also found in various other Hyundai and Kia products such as the Forte. It makes 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque.

Hyundai, Kia add to 2.4 million cars recalled in U.S. over fires, engines

DETROIT — Hyundai and Kia have added more than a half-million vehicles to 3 1/2 -year string of U.S. recalls for engine failures and fires. Three recalls released Thursday by the government add new problems and vehicles to the Korean automakers' list of safety woes, which have brought hundreds of complaints about fires from across the nation. The companies have now recalled nearly 2.4 million vehicles for fire and engine failure problems since September 2015, and they are under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for potentially being slow to fix faulty vehicles. In addition, the companies are doing a "product improvement campaign" covering another 3.7 million vehicles to install software that will alert drivers of possible engine failures and send the cars into a reduced-speed "limp" mode if problems are detected. The largest of three recalls posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website Thursday covers nearly 379,000 Kia Soul small SUVs from 2012 through 2016 with 1.6-liter engines. Documents show that high exhaust gas temperatures can damage the catalytic converters, which control pollution. That can cause abnormal combustion and damage pistons and connecting rods. A failed connecting rod can pierce the engine block and cause oil leaks that can cause fires. In addition, Hyundai and Kia are recalling 152,000 Tuscon SUVs from 2011 to 2013 and Sportage SUVs from 2011 and 2012 to fix an engine oil pan leak that also can cause fires. Documents show that Kia had been investigating fires in Souls after the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety petitioned the government to look into the fires last year. In November, the automaker couldn't find any safety problem trends but it kept monitoring repair data and found the problem with the catalytic converters. All Souls with 1.6-liter engines made from July 8, 2011, through August 11, 2016, are being recalled. Dealers will replace a computer that prevents the catalytic converter from overheating. They'll also replace the catalytic converter and the engine if they have been damaged. Letters will be mailed to owners starting April 12. In the Tuscon and Sportage recalls, the fix for the oil pan problem is still being developed. Hyundai owners will be notified starting March 29, while Kia owners will get letters starting April 10.

Volvo, Kia and BYD duke it out in the finals for World Car of 2024

Three electric vehicles — none produced by an American manufacturer — will compete next month for the title of 2024 World Car of the Year, it was announced Monday. The finalists are the Kia EV9, the Volvo EX30 and the BYD Seal (shown above). The latter two are built in China. The three top finalists in five other categories were also named at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland. The winners in all six categories will be revealed live during an awards ceremony at the New York International Auto Show on March 27. This year marks the 20th year of the World Car Awards and the partnership with the New York show. Besides car of the year, the other finalists are: Electric vehicle: BMW i5, Kia EV9, Volvo EX30; Luxury car: BMW 5 Series/i5, Mercedes Benz E-Class, Mercedes Benz EQE SUV; Performance car: BMW M2, BMW XM, Hyundai Ionia 5 N; Urban car: BYD Dolphin, Lexus LBX, Volvo EX30; World Car Design: Ford Bronco, Ferrari Purosangue, Toyota Prius. Only Ford among U.S. companies has an entry in the final selections, and only in one category, design, for the Bronco. BMW has four vehicles in the finals, Volvo has three, Kia and Mercedes have two each. BYD from China has two entries as well. The Seal went on sale in in its home market in 2022 and is now available in most of the rest of the world. The BYD Co. (which stands for Build Your Dreams) has surpassed Tesla to become the worldÂ’s biggest maker of electric vehicles, and has its sights set on the U.S. The selection process for World Cars involves 100-plus automotive journalists from 29 countries who vote, as they review and test-drive the eligible vehicles for the 2024 awards. Their journey is captured virtually on World Car TV. Design/Style Geneva Motor Show BMW Ferrari Ford Hyundai Kia Lexus Mercedes-Benz Toyota Volvo Best Cars World Car of the Year