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2019 Kia Forte First Drive Review | Slow, but steady

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Kia is in the midst of an sea change. The Stinger's release has shifted the brand's focus away from simply being rebadged Hyundais, giving the Korean automaker a new identity. The Soul and Niro have been solid and unique products, but one or two cars aren't enough to move the needle, especially in the eyes of the public. Our long-term 2018 Kia Stinger GT is a fantastic car, but it still gets plenty of "that's a Kia?" comments out in public. If Kia wants to reinvent itself in this new image, every product is going to have to look and feel as if it was cut from the same cloth. For 2019, the Kia Forte is entering its third generation, having debuted a decade ago as replacement for the Spectra. Like the previous two models, the new Forte shares more than a little with its corporate sibling, the Hyundai Elantra. Kia claims the Forte is more than just an Elantra with handsome new sheetmetal, with some minor updates and changes underneath the skin. There are some allusions to the Stinger in the Forte's design — thin, sweptback headlights, a wide lower air intake up front and full-width taillights in the rear. Both cars are also sprinkled with a number of black accents. It's clean and more distinctive than the recently refreshed but still conservative Elantra. The Forte's interior is less Stinger and more Optima — not quite as bold as the exterior might suggest, but purposeful. There are the practical details that make a difference: small spaces for your phone, sunglasses and more. The Honda Civic offers more, but the Forte is near the top of its class. Like the Elantra, the Forte's seats are comfortable and well positioned, though I do wish there were a little more thigh bolstering. Base models come with cloth, though heated and ventilated leather seats are standard on the top-tier EX trim. The EX also comes with two USB ports and an optional wireless charger. Fit and finish are impressive, too. There was nary a rattle or panel gap to be found. Kia's focus on improved noise and vibration was immediately evident, too. Both wind and road noise were both mild, with just a little bit of sound coming from the car's A-pillars. The chassis has been stiffened significantly compared to the Elantra, and it definitely comes across on the road. The overall impression inside is that it looks and feels as well-built as anything coming from Japan and better than some of the Americans. Unfortunately, things aren't quite as rosy when you get moving.

2018 Kia Niro PHEV Review | More MPG than an SUV, less weird than a hybrid

PORTLAND, Ore. — It seems like such a no-brainer. The 2018 Kia Niro PHEV has the body of a little SUV, which is just the thing that everyone, their mother, brother, and friend named Phil are clamoring for at the moment. The rest of the plug-in hybrid segment is dominated by slug-shaped eco mobiles that ape the Toyota Prius or that are literally a Toyota Prius. Personally, I don't want to drive a slug. I also don't want to deal with weird interior controls, weirder interior design or four-person back seats. The Niro is very normal by comparison. Get in, press start, slide completely normal PRNDL shifter into D, and go. Better still, the PHEV doesn't suffer from the laggardly throttle response of the regular hybrid Niro that hampers drivability and makes its EPA-estimated 49 mpg combined a bit of a mirage. You'll either get that mpg and live with an accelerator pedal seemingly unattached to the powertrain, or slot the shifter into Sport and live with fuel economy in the low 40's. That's far superior to the 20-something you'd get in comparably sized SUVs, but still short of the 50-something-mpg in the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight or the Niro's mechanically related Hyundai Ioniq cousin. Compared to a typical, disconnected-feeling PHEV throttle, the Niro PHEV's throttle is perfectly normal, leaving Sport to those moments when you want a little extra zest from your plug-in hybrid (such a moment never seemed to arise). One can assume this is due to the larger battery that allows for greater electric input even when the plug-in battery range is depleted. When filled to the brim, it offers an EPA-estimated all-electric range of 26 miles, a figure I bettered by 1 mile during my evaluation route. That's nearly half of what you can get out of a Chevy Volt or Honda Clarity PHEV, but is similar to the Toyota Prius Prime and Ioniq PHEV. And really, how much you drive in all-electric mode makes the biggest difference. If your daily commute is in the 20-mile range, it doesn't really matter which of the above-mentioned plug-ins you choose. If it's more, though, the others will make more sense. The Volt and Clarity can run on electricity longer, and the Prius Prime and Ioniq are more efficient once their plug-in range is depleted. In the end, though, isn't this really just splitting hairs?

Hyundai finally settles inflated fuel economy claims lawsuit for $41.2 million

Remember when Hyundai and Kia changed their claimed fuel economy numbers for a bunch of models? That happened back in 2012, and Hyundai has finally settled a lawsuit concerning the economy adjustment with a payment of $41.2 million. The lawsuit was filed by 33 state attorneys general, as well as one from Washington D.C. Each state will decide how to use its money from the settlement. According to Hyundai, this settlement was an "amicable agreement," and the company also denies any wrongdoing in changing claimed fuel economy numbers. Hyundai also reports that the agreement was reached, in part, due to the reimbursement program instituted after the economy adjustment. This program allows owners to be reimbursed the extra fuel cost, with payments determined by miles driven. The payments are sent after an owner has an affected car's odometer checked by a dealer. In addition, Hyundai also offered lump-sum payments as an option after the results of a class-action lawsuit. So far, the company reports about 75 percent of eligible owners have participated in the program. This isn't the only major payment Hyundai has made concerning the fuel economy issue. In 2014, Hyundai paid roughly $300 million in fines to the EPA. The company was also sued for inflated fuel economy claims in South Korea. In the US, models affected by the adjustment include the Hyundai Santa Fe, Accent, Veloster, Sonata Hybrid, Tucson, Genesis and Azera, along with the Kia Soul, Rio, Sorento, Sportage and Optima. Related Video: Image Credit: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images Government/Legal Green Hyundai Kia