2015 Kia Sorento Lx on 2040-cars

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Kia: The Perfect Getaway

Former 007 Pierce Brosnan took on a new role for the 2015 Super Bowl, featuring in a spot for the new Kia Sorento. The fifth man to take on James Bond, Brosnan is being pitched a new project, although he doesn't seem to be totally on the same page as the executive that's trying to sell him. Where the actor expects a sniper and a missile launcher, he's confronted by a owl and a moose, respectively. It's a pretty humorous spot, all together. As for the car, you can read all about our first-hand experiences in the new Sorento.

Kia wants to keep Stinger fresh with frequent variants

Kia is apparently feeling confident enough in the early sales figures of its new Stinger sedan to be mulling ideas for future variants of its GT-inspired fastback. The brand's North American product planner tells AutoGuide it wants to keep the nameplate's lineup fresh with frequent updates and additions. "The reaction has been phenomenal to (the Stinger)," Orth Hedrick, Kia North America product planner, told AutoGuide. "We're doing great, we have a very high mix of buyers, a lot coming from Optima, so we're looking to see if we can grow that. And I think there might be other opportunities down the road." He added that it was still early in the product's lifecycle and that the brand will wait to amass more data from consumers before building out the Stinger lineup. "We're going to be very aggressive for the lifecycle of this vehicle," Hedrick added, "we're going to be very aggressive with the colors. It's a fashion statement. You have to keep the car going with powertrain variants and other stuff coming down the road." Through March, Kia has sold 3,920 Stingers in the U.S., including 1,555 in March alone and not including the 843 it sold in late 2017. That's a fraction of the 50,645 vehicles Kia sold overall during the month, and it puts Kia on pace to sell nearly 16,000 for the full year. It's hard to independently assess whether that should be seen as a successful mark for a performance sedan that starts at $32,795 for the standard 255-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder, much lower than many of the German competitors it's established as benchmarks. Hendrick last year told Wards the Stinger was intended to increase both sales and brand recognition and was aimed squarely at auto enthusiasts. Its U.S. sales are slightly above those of the Alfa Romeo Giulia, which has sold 3,085 through March (this Stinger owners forum thread also offers some interesting guesstimates). And as long as Kia is pleased ... Anyway, if Kia wants to release variants, we're totally cool with that. It's already announced the limited-edition Atlantica, and we're down with more colors and maybe a manual transmission. And while they're at it, why not borrow the 5.0-liter V8 from the Korean version of the K900? Related Video:

Kia Forte5 hotted-up hatch could be coming back to U.S. market

CarBuzz discovered an executive order Kia submitted to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that appears to leave a placeholder for a new Forte5. The previous Forte5 — the hatchback version of the Forte sedan — was sold in the U.S. until last year. The tailgated version didn't make the jump to the new-generation Forte sedan that went on sale in the latter part of 2018. The question is whether the lodged paperwork means we can expect a new Forte5 to come our way, or if Kia's U.S. arm is merely preparing for the possibility. Kia's CARB filing lists four 2020 model-year Forte trims: A Forte sedan without smart cruise control (SCC) that can be had with Kia's seven-speed dual-clutch transmission or a six-speed manual; a Forte sedan with SCC that comes with the DCT; a Forte5 with the DCT; and a Forte5 with the DCT and SCC. All four cars get a 1.6-liter four-cylinder. The only such engine Kia has is a turborcharged GDI unit with 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, currently found in the Soul GT. The only engine available in the Forte sedan at the moment is a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 147 hp and 132 lb-ft, with a CVT manipulating gear ratios. In an interview with Motor Trend at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show where the latest Forte sedan was launched, the Forte's product manager said, "We're not done with Forte. ... We have more exciting products that are coming that I can't speak of." We know there's a production version of the Forte GT on the way with the 1.6-liter, so that takes care of two of the listed vehicles. At the time of the interview, MT wondered if the Kia exec was alluding to "a return of the Forte5 hatchback," something cribbed off the gorgeous Proceed concept shown at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. If we were to peer perhaps too closely at the tea leaves, in January of this year Kia launched the new Forte5 hatchback at the Montreal Auto Show (pictured). An exec with Kia Canada said that country is "the first in North America to get up close to a brand-new vehicle." Perhaps we'll be the second. That car in Canada comes with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder in base trim, and will offer the 1.6-liter as part of a "GT performance upgrade." We know the Forte GT sedan will come with nicer and sportier bits like LED headlights and 18-inch wheels on Michelin Super Sport tires. If there is a hotted-up Forte5 hatch on the way, we should know before too long.