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2020 Kia Telluride Second Drive | Won over

When I first saw the 2020 Kia Telluride at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show press days, I was super impressed. It looked great on the show floor, the interior was roomy, materials were high-quality and details well attended to. I couldn't wait to show my wife, Cat, who has been looking to move from a Mercedes-Benz GLK into something a bit bigger. The Tellurides were less accessible when Cat and I took our son, Wollie, to the public show, so I couldn't fully show off this new ute I thought was so cool. "Eh, it's a Kia," Cat said, despite my many previous attempts to convince her that the notion of crummy, boring, cheap Kias is a thing of the past. Anyway, I'd have to wait to get a Telluride from the press fleet to convince her further and to see if I even liked it as much on the road as I did seeing it on the show floor. The day I brought it home, my 3-year-old son called — as he often does — around lunchtime to ask what car I'd be driving. When I said "Kia Telluride," he got excited. He's been a huge fan of our long-term Stinger (as well as an Optima we once rented in Arizona), so the Kia brand name impressed him. My wife, who was also on the line, had no reaction. Driving it home, I fell in love with the Telluride, just as I expected I would. Our top-of-the-line SX-trim tester was nice, loaded with content, trimmed with what looked and felt to be high-quality materials. It took close inspection to see that the headliner isn't a soft microfiber, and that the wood trim is actually plastic. The Nappa leather upholstery is rich, and the seats supportive. The huge dual sunroof and gigantic windows give the cabin an open, airy feeling. I would be pushing for a Telluride as a future addition to Autoblog's long-term garage, as I could see myself enjoying this car for many a mile, with the space to serve many purposes. When I got home, Wollie was eager to check the Telluride out. He climbed all through it, and marveled at the sheer amount of space it affords. He had the room to navigate freely from seat to seat and row to row. As a full-grown adult, I also found it fairly easy to navigate between the captains' chairs and get comfortable in the third row. I wouldn't recommend putting three adults in the back, but I'd be happy back there for shorter rides, or perfectly relaxed in the second row on long hauls. The Snyder boys were sold. Cat came out to see it, and still wasn't impressed.

Kia GT Spied | Autoblog Minute

Four door sport sedan spied in Germany. This looks to be a rear-wheel four door drive performance sedan closely based on the GT concept. Kia Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video autos kia gt sports sedan

Hyundai reveals CEO's pay for first time ever

Thanks to some government pressure, Hyundai's billionaire chairman, Chung Mong Koo, has revealed just how much he gets paid each year. Honestly, the amount is a bit lower than we'd expect considering he helms such a huge industrial empire. The 76-year-old chairman brought home $13 million in 2013, $5.2 million of which came from Hyundai's automotive business while both Mobis and Hyundai Steel chipped in $3.94 million, each. For reference, Ford CEO Alan Mulally netted $23.2 million in 2013, although the vast majority of that money came from stock options.
The push for Chung to reveal his pay was part of a larger effort by the South Korean government called the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act. The act forces several thousand companies to release info on annual pay, bonuses and severance for employees earning over $5 million won ($469,000), according to Bloomberg.
"With the disclosure of the executives' compensation, the pressure to deliver better profits will increase," said Heo Pil Seok, the CEO of Midas International Asset Management. It seems to be working, as Hyundai shareholders, of which Midas is one, have seen their shares increase by 6.1 percent in 2014, which includes a 1.2-percent jump as of yesterday, according to Bloomberg.