2016 Kia Soul + on 2040-cars

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Kia launches 1.0-liter engine in Europe

As emissions regulations get tighter around the world, the automotive industry is seeing a proliferation of small, turbocharged engines to keep up. Kia is hopping into this field, at least in Europe, with its newly announced 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder, and the mill debuts at the upcoming 2015 Geneva Motor Show in the Cee'd GT Line (pictured right). Kia's turbocharged three-cylinder makes 118 horsepower and 127 pound-feet of torque in the Cee'd and goes on sale in the fourth quarter of 2014 across the pond. The Korean brand says that the engine will be offered in more of its products there, but won't announce them until later. The engine is still subject to emissions and fuel economy certification in Europe, but Kia's goal is for it to have 10-15 percent better economy than the current 1.6-liter, direct-injected four-cylinder. To make those goals a reality, the company packs the three-cylinder with technology. Laser-drilled fuel-injection holes provide a more even mixture, and the heads and block have separate thermostats to let them be cooled independently, a decision that allows engineers to tune the temperature of the two parts separately to maximize efficiency. Also, the exhaust manifold is integrated into the design to further lower temperatures. On the Cee'd GT Line, the powertrain gets stop/start, as well. While the Ford Fiesta shows that small engines can work in the US by offering the 1.0-liter EcoBoost with 123 hp and 148 lb-ft of twist, don't expect Kia to try it here anytime soon. Company spokesperson James Hope told Autoblog, "We're always studying the market, but there are no plans at the moment" to bring the mill here. WORLD PRODUCTION PREMIERE FOR KIA'S NEW 1.0-LITRE TURBOCHARGED THREE-CYLINDER 'KAPPA' ENGINE World premiere for Kia's new downsized 1.0-litre T-GDi engine Developed in-house at Kia's Namyang R&D centre Newly-developed laser-drilled injectors enable more efficient combustion Single-scroll turbocharger with electric scavenging system Innovation dual-thermostat cooling for cylinder heads and engine block Kia's all-new 1.0-litre T-GDi (turbo gasoline direct injection) 'Kappa' engine will make its world production debut at the 85th Salon International de l'Automobile in Geneva on 3 March 2015. Kia's new T-GDi Kappa engine embraces the industry trend towards smaller capacity, higher efficiency units which consume less fuel and emit fewer emissions – while still delivering responsive performance.

Kia teases next-gen K5 in South Korea, foreshadows our Optima

Now that the redesigned Hyundai Sonata is down the road burning gas, Kia's loading the next-generation Optima into the chute. The automaker teased the South Korean-market K5 — our Optima — on Facebook, revealing a sedan that will bring a new attitude to the midsize competitor. The sketches largely line up with spy shots we got a couple of months ago, starting with the clamshell hood running down to a narrower, wider tiger nose grille. Two creases in the center of the hood bracket the Kia logo. We can't know what trim is on display in the rendering, but the pictured upper and lower grilles give up the mesh pattern on the current car for horizontal strakes. A pair of DRLs frame the front fascia, the Z-shaped light signature longer and more abstracted than that on the Cadenza sedan.  The profile includes a couple of signature strokes that create a wholly different impression. Moving the side mirrors to the doors emphasizes the sharp takeoff point for the greenhouse, emphasized with a chrome trim strip that could have come off a stretched Aston Martin DB11. Instead of the rear glass behind the C-pillar picking up from the edge of the backlight as on the current car and forming their own profile, the sketch show a faster glass design angled back to follow the shape of the roof. Lower down, the character line in the sketch rises from the front wheel arch to the rear door, then falls sharply to the rear wheel arch. We can't make out this line in any of the spy shots, though. The rear gets a lot edgier. It's possible the chrome greenhouse trim dips around the bottom backlight to form a single line around the car. A short decklid is backed by an integrated lip. A single taillight of dashed LEDs runs across the width, bookended by a tight V shape.  Wholesale change inside stresses the horizontal span. A slightly modified steering wheel sits ahead of a digital dash cluster. A second widescreen sits atop an instrument panel cut by wide, narrow vents and marked by fewer buttons. On the center console, the shifter's replaced with a rotary knob.  A debut could come before the end of the year, the sedan likely a 2021-model-year offering. Engines should mirror Sonata powertrains, consisting of a 1.6-liter four-cylinder and a 2.5-liter four-cylinder shifting through an eight-speed transmission, and a more powerful turbocharged four-cylinder expected to join the lineup.

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.