2018 Kia Soul on 2040-cars

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South Korea assists auto industry struggling with coronavirus fallout

SEOUL —  South Korea said on Monday it would provide logistical and financial support to help its auto industry through the coronavirus crisis, warning of disruptions to supply chains from Europe and the United States. The government said it would speed up customs clearance, arrange freight transportation and provide liquidity support for the industry, which employs about 12% of South KoreaÂ’s workforce, according to official figures. The coronavirus pandemic has led to shutdowns at auto factories and dealerships in the United States and Europe, which are expected to affect South Korean automakers such as Hyundai and Kia. “ItÂ’s time to prepare for the shock of a global demand contraction and European supply issues,” Industry Minister Sung Yoon-mo said in a meeting with parts supplier executives and industry associations, according to a readout from the ministry. “Survival is the most crucial thing in this unprecedented crisis when both demand and supply contract at the same time.” The ministry gave no details on how much liquidity support the government would provide or what form it might take. The assistance is part of 50 trillion won ($39 billion) in emergency financing announced last week to boost the economy. South Korea has reported 8,961 coronavirus cases and 110 deaths from the disease. Hyundai Motor closed its Montgomery, Alabama, assembly plant on Wednesday after an employee there tested positive for COVID-19. It also suspended production at its plants in the Czech Republic and India due to the coronavirus outbreak. Europe and the United States account for about 70% of Korean automakersÂ’ exports, and 54% of Korean parts exports, government data showed. A trade ministry official said South Korean exports would deteriorate in April and May, after rising 10% year-on-year in the first 20 days of March. Car exports rose 13.7% in the period, customs agency data showed on Monday. “For the time being, a drop in exports of cars and auto-parts are inevitable as car factories and dealerships are closing,” Sung said. South Korean automakers had stocked up on inventories which could last up to two months, Sung said. Related Video: Earnings/Financials Government/Legal Plants/Manufacturing Hyundai Kia coronavirus

Next-generation Kia Sorento snapped undergoing testing

Kia has been busy - a refreshed Sorento just arrived in showrooms for the 2014 model year and the Korean manufacturer is already out undergoing advanced testing in the next-generation model. How, pray tell, do we know how far along testing is? Notice any cladding, or coverings, aside from the regular vinyl camo? Right.
Our predictive talents aside, there are still a lot of questions about the next Sorento. We don't have much to go on with the technical specs, although we'll be thunderstruck if there isn't some form of the Hyundai/Kia 2.0-liter turbo under hood. Our spies report that this new model is somewhat larger than the current Sorento, hinting that it might be riding atop the same platform as the long-wheelbase Hyundai Santa Fe. That could indicate an available V6 model, as well. Judging by the profile views, we'd bet our bottom dollar this is a three-row model.
The conflicting nature of a refreshed Sorento hitting dealers and an advanced prototype out testing in Europe makes it difficult to pin down a date for the third-generation CUV's debut. We doubt we'll be seeing the new Sorento before the end of the year - a 2014 debut with a 2015 on-sale date just seems more likely in light of the newness of the refreshed model.

Here’s how 20 popular EVs fared in cold-weather testing in Norway

Electric vehicles are known to suffer diminished performance in cold weather, but some do a better job than others hanging onto their range capacity while cabin heaters and frigid outdoor temperatures sap power from their batteries. Recently, the Norwegian Automobile Federation put the 20 of the best-selling battery-electric vehicles in the country to the test, to see not only how winter weather affected their range but also their charging times. The major findings: On average, electric vehicles lost 18.5% of their official driving range as determined by the European WLTP cycle. Electric vehicles also charge more slowly in cold temperatures. And interestingly, the researchers learned that EVs don’t simply shut down when they lose power but instead deliver a series of warnings to the driver, with driving comfort and speed levels maintained until the very last few miles. Because itÂ’s Norway, the worldÂ’s top market for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles by market share, the test included many EVs that arenÂ’t available here in the U.S. But there are many familiar faces, among them the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Models S, 3 and X, Hyundai Kona (known here as the Kona Electric) and Ioniq, and Audi E-Tron. In terms of range, the top-performing EV was the Hyundai Kona, which lost only 9% of its official range, which the WTLP rated at 449 kilometers, or 279 miles, compared to its EPA-rated range of 258 miles on a full charge. It delivered 405 km, just enough to nudge it ahead of the Tesla Model 3, which returned 404 km. Other top performers included the Audi E-Tron, in both its 50 Quattro (13% lower range) and higher-powered 55 Quattro (14% lower) guises; the Hyundai Ioniq (10% lower); and Volkswagen e-Golf (11% lower). At 610 km (379 miles) the Tesla Model S has the longest WLTP range of all models tested and went the furthest, but still lost 23% of its range, though it also encountered energy-sapping heavy snow at the end of its test, when many cars had dropped out. The Model 3 lost 28% of its range. The worst performer? That goes to the Opel Ampera-e, better known stateside as the Chevrolet Bolt. It traveled 297 km (about 184 miles) in the test, which was nearly 30% lower than its stated WLTP range. We should also note that Opel, now owned by Groupe PSA, is phasing the car out in Europe and that Chevy recently upgraded the Bolt here in the U.S.