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2020 Kia Tellurides recalled for seatbelt problem

Just over 30,000 2020 Kia Telluride SUVs are being recalled in the U.S. due to a seatbelt installation problem. Year to date, Kia hasn’t sold much more than 30,000 Tellurides, so the recall applies to nearly every Telluride on the road right now. Documents posted on the NHTSAÂ’s website explain that the wrong seatbelt assemblies may have been installed in certain Tellurides. Instead of American-spec assemblies, Kia says the Middle East-spec seatbelt assemblies may have been installed on some Tellurides. HereÂ’s why thatÂ’s an issue: Kia states that the seatbelts in the passenger seat, second row and third row may not be equipped with an automatic locking retractor (ALR) feature. In case you werenÂ’t familiar with the terminology, automatic locking retractor belts are seatbelts that lock into place once theyÂ’re snug to whatever theyÂ’re holding — they lock into place, instead of allowing a passenger to tug them back out again. This is necessary for securing child seats into place via the seatbelt, because you donÂ’t want there to be any give or movement in a crash. U.S. regulations require that every forward-facing seat that isnÂ’t the driverÂ’s seat has the ALR feature so that a child seat can be properly secured in it. Kia says “If a non-ALR seat belt is used to secure a child seat in the front passenger, second or third row seats, it may not tightly secure a child restraint system, increasing the risk of injury to a child seat occupant in a crash.” As of now, there are no reported deaths or injuries as a result of this issue. Owners of these potentially affected Tellurides will have to bring their vehicles into the dealer to be inspected. If they have the non-ALR Middle East-spec seatbelts installed in them, Kia will change them out for American-spec belt assemblies free of charge. The recall is scheduled to begin Aug. 30, so owners should expect a notification in the mail soon. This recall is the first experienced by the popular Telluride SUV.

Kia Telluride takes World Car of the Year honors

The Kia Telluride has been named 2020 World Car of the Year, an award that recognizes the most significant new-vehicle introduction as determined by an international jury of automotive journalist judges. The Telluride adds to its string of honors by beating out the Mazda CX-30 and the Mazda3, the previously announced finalists for the WCOTY award. The organization also announced the winners of additional awards: The Porsche Taycan was recognized as World Performance Car of the Year, beating out its siblings, the 911 and the 718 Boxster Spyder/Cayman GT4. The Taycan further took top honors as World Luxury Car of the Year, besting the 911 and the Mercedes-Benz EQC in that category. In a second win for Kia, the Kia Soul EV was named World Urban Car of the Year. The Soul beat out the Mini Cooper SE and the Volkswagen T-Cross. Finally, the Mazda3 was honored as World Car Design of the Year. The Kia Telluride follows last year's WCOTY, the Jaguar I-Pace. Previous honorees include the Volvo XC60 in 2018, the Jaguar F-Pace in 2017, and the Mazda MX-5 in 2016. The WCOTY team consists of 86 jurors from 24 countries, and the organization is independent and not tied to any publication. This is the 16 th year for the awards. Related Video:    

How automakers stand to benefit from Iran

The big global news of late is a deal that sees a number of major powers easing some sanctions on Iran in return for the Middle Eastern nation scaling back its nuclear program. This thawing of relations between Iran and the West could have far-reaching impacts in both the near and long term, particularly on the auto industry.
As Bloomberg points out, foreign manufacturers, especially Kia and Peugeot, stand to win big by this short-term easing of sanctions. But the impact of opening up the Iranian market to larger-scale sales cannot be underestimated - Peugeot, for example, sold 457,900 units to Iran in 2011 as spare parts kits alone. Opening the Iranian market could also have a huge impact on the cost of oil, as the country was one of the largest producers in the OPEC consortium before firmer sanctions took effect in 2012. Still, as David Cohen, US undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence said, it's "not open season now for business in Iran."
Bloomberg has an excellent report of all the near-term effects an easing of sanctions has across a number of industries. Hop over and give it a look.