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Hyundai Motor shares slide following U.S. probe of airbag failures

SEOUL — Shares in Hyundai Motor tumbled on Monday on a U.S. probe into why airbags failed to deploy in some of its Sonata sedans, with investors fretting about potential recall costs for the once popular cars. The probe, which follows crashes that reportedly killed four people and left six injured, will review the 2011 Sonata sedan as well as the 2012-2013 Forte made by affiliate Kia Motors, encompassing some 425,000 vehicles. It marks the second investigation by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into the South Korean duo in less than one year, exacerbating headaches for Hyundai which reported in January its worst annual earnings in seven years. Hyundai has issued a recall for more than 150,000 U.S. Sonatas after incidents of non-deployment were linked to electrical overstress in the airbag control unit, but said it did not have a final fix. "What I am concerned about is that the recall will be expanded to other markets," said Ko Tae-bong, an analyst at Hi Investment & Securities. The Sonata and Forte sedans were responsible for driving sales for Hyundai and Kia in key markets in recent years, although they are no longer as popular as they once were. Ko estimated the U.S. recall could cost as much as $575 million if airbags were replaced in 425,000 vehicles under review and the automakers were found responsible for the problem. Hyundai Motor shares tumbled 4.8 percent while Kia Motors lost 3.7 percent. Parts supplier Hyundai Mobis fell 5.4 percent while the broader market was down 0.7 percent. Hyundai declined to comment on whether the recall would be expanded. Kia said it has not confirmed problems with the airbags but added it would "act promptly to conduct a safety recall, if it determines that a recall would be appropriate." The automakers told the South Korean regulator that the Sonata and Forte models sold in the domestic market were not affected, an official at South Korea's transport ministry told Reuters. The U.S. regulator said the airbag control units were built by ZF Friedrichshafen-TRW, a German auto supplier that acquired TRW Automotive in 2015, adding that it would determine if any other manufacturers used similar airbag control units and if they posed a safety risk. The NHTSA also said that electrical overstress appeared to be the root cause in the 2016 recall by Fiat Chrysler America of 1.4 million U.S. vehicles for airbag non-deployments in significant frontal crashes.

Kia Rio hatchback facelift in Europe brings lots of new tech

Earlier this year, Kia put a fleet of Rio hatchback prototypes on the road in Europe wearing near full-body camouflage, which was a lot of secrecy for what was expected to be a minor facelift. The South Korean automaker has revealed the final product in Europe with an unforeseen bounty of changes to increase efficiency and bolster technology. The cosmetic formula doesn't deviate much, a narrower tiger grille sitting over a thicker bumper with reshaped fog light housings. At the corners, all Rios will come with full LED lighting. The color palette grows with the addition of Perennial Grey and Sporty Blue, the latter hue seeping into the cabin with a blue color pack that brightens up the dashboard, seat bolsters, arm rests, and contrast stitching. The GT-Line goes monochrome with a black interior offset by white piping and stitching, and a carbon-fiber-effect dashboard. Every model comes with a height-adjustable driver's seat, which is an optional upgrade for the passenger's seat. New 16-inch, eight-spoke wheels will also be available. Under the hood, Kia debuts an EcoDynamics+ powertrain with new 1.0-liter Smartstream mild hybrid gas engines in two outputs that replace the 1.0-liter Kappa engines. The Rio marks Kia's first application of a 48-volt mild hybrid system, the belt-driven integrated starter generator programmed to extend its shutdown time to increase fuel economy. The 99- and 118-horsepower outputs match the previous engines, but in the 118-hp version torque rises from 127 pound-feet to 148. Both mills will offer three drive modes, Normal, Eco, and Sport. Squeezing out more efficiency for buyers who stick with the standard manual transmissions, Kia engineers developed a clutch-by-wire. Instead of a mechanical linkage, electronics control the clutch actuation. Combined with an update to make the engine start/stop system dependent on pressing the brake and the clutch instead of just the clutch, manual-equipped Rios expand the time the engine is shut off when coasting to a stop. The other two engines in the lineup will be new versions of the 1.0-liter with 99 hp that will come with a six-speed manual transmission as standard instead of the five-speeder, and naturally-aspirated 1.2-liter with 83-hp. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission will be optional.  Inside, the dash cluster fits a 4.2-info screen with higher resolution.

2021 Kia Sorento Review | What's new, price, hybrid fuel economy, pictures

The Kia Sorento has always gone its own way. We'll spare you a history lesson, but in short, Kia's midsize crossover has never fit neatly into a same-sized competitive set. That continues for the all-new, fourth-generation 2021 Kia Sorento. It's still a midsize crossover, it still has three rows of seats, but it's still not as big as other three-row family crossovers, including Kia's own Telluride. Not everyone needs that much space. At the same time, though, perhaps you might need more than the Honda CR-Vs and Toyota RAV4s of the world provide — plus a few extra seats. For many, the Sorento should make a lot of sense. The biggest change for 2021, then, is the amount of variety the Sorento now offers. The new X-Line trim model is basically Kia's answer to the Subaru Outback or perhaps a Toyota RAV4 Adventure. It gets an extra inch of ground clearance for a lofty 8.3 inches total, standard all-wheel drive with a locking center differential, more functional roof racks and different styling. It's no rock crawler, but for weekend adventures, it should do the job nicely. All other trims get revised styling as well, with the SX in particular slathered in glossy black trim and wheels. It's the interior that sees the bigger visual overhaul, plus an injection of the latest technology, plus a slight improvement to the Sorento's already above-average interior quality. There are huge changes under the hood. The base four-cylinder is bigger and a bit more powerful, while the old V6 engine upgrade gives way to a 2.5-liter turbo inline-four good for 281 horsepower and a robust 311 pound-feet of torque that smokes all those bigger three-row crossovers — including the Telluride. From there, things get green. The Sorento joins the Toyota Highlander and Ford Explorer as the only three-row hybrids, and betters them both with an estimated 37 miles per gallon combined. Then there's the new Sorento Plug-In Hybrid, which is the only three-row plug-in hybrid SUV from a non-luxury brand. It can go an estimated 32 miles on a charge, which should be more than enough to run the dayÂ’s chores without the turbocharged gas engine firing up. All of this makes for a compelling, diverse lineup. Whether you're considering one of the larger compact SUVs, a two-row midsize SUV or a bigger three-row family crossover, the new Sorento is a smart alternative to consider and one of our top recommended midsize SUVs.  What's new for 2021? The Sorento is all-new for 2021.