2020 Kia Soul Gt-line on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Join Autoblog editors for a full video tour of the 2019 Detroit Auto Show

The 2019 North American International Auto Show might have been a little more quiet than past years, but there were still some pretty major reveals, including the Toyota Supra, new Ford Explorer, Shelby GT500, Subaru WRX STI S209 and Kia Telluride. We also saw some lovely concepts like the Nissan IMs and Lexus LC Convertible. Senior Editor Alex Kierstein, Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski and Senior Green Editor John Beltz Snyder join me, Associate Editor Reese Counts — with Social Media Manager Michael Dylan Ferrara behind the camera — on a long walk through the show. We discuss cars, poke around the stands, dress a bloody wound and answer your questions in the Facebook comments. For more Detroit coverage, you can check out Autoblog's picks for the best in show, listen to our podcast or look at the best images from all the reveals. Finally, don't forget to watch Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore hand over our 2019 Technology of the Year award. Related Video: Green Detroit Auto Show Acura Cadillac Chevrolet Ford GM Hyundai Infiniti Kia Lexus Nissan RAM Subaru Toyota Volkswagen Truck Convertible Coupe Crossover Hatchback Minivan/Van SUV Videos Sedan facebook 2019 detroit auto show live

Kia unveils K4 sedan concept in China

Among the dozens of foreign automakers eager to showcase their wares to the Chinese market, Kia arrived at the Beijing Motor Show with the new K4. Though technically categorized as a "concept," the K4 previews a sedan which Kia intends to launch in China later this year.
The K4 is a midsize sedan measuring 186 inches long and riding on a 106-inch wheelbase that makes it bigger than the Forte (sold in the Far East as the K3) and just a few inches shorter than the Optima (aka K5). The form is draped in familiar Kia-style bodywork, with a high trunk and low nose to give it a wedge shape and a familiar if somewhat new take on the headlights and grille seen on other new models from the Korean automaker.
Power comes from a 1.6-liter turbo four (smaller than the engines available in the Optima/K5) mated to a seven-speed DCT. Kia has also fitted the K4 concept with push-button ignition, UVO infotainment system, rear-view camera, six airbags and stability management. In short, everything you'd expect from the latest product of a global automaker.

Hyundai phone app adjusts EV performance settings

The latest automotive tech frontier is phone control. A few car companies have launched or are about to launch the ability to use your phone as your key, such as with the Tesla Model 3 and the just revealed 2020 Lincoln Corsair. Aside from being convenient, the technology offers the ability to save settings for different users. The latest application of the technology comes from Hyundai and Kia for electric cars, specifically letting users set performance parameters and bring them from car to car. The app allows the user to adjust several performance settings including amount of torque available, speed limits, throttle response, regenerative braking response, climate control energy use and acceleration aggressiveness. Basically, you can decide whether you want all-out speed, long-range, or a blend of the two. The more detailed settings are also nice compared to choosing between three or four pre-set blends of performance like on many cars. And of course parents would surely like the ability to limit speed and power for new drivers. What's perhaps more interesting are the ways settings can be brought along and shared. Hyundai suggests that when using a car-sharing program, drivers could have their settings uploaded to whatever car is being used so that you don't have to readjust things each time. People could also share their preferred combinations for others to use, possibly offering people less compromised combinations than they otherwise would have come up with. Hyundai could also offer recommended settings or tweaks to combinations to optimize efficiency or performance in certain conditions. It's all interesting stuff, especially for control freaks and tinkerers, and we'll see it in the near future. Hyundai and Kia say it will show up in future vehicles, though an exact date wasn't given.