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Hyundai, Kia launching dedicated hybrids in 2017

The currently weak green car market isn't stopping Hyundai and Kia from staging an ongoing electrified onslaught, and it's primed to just keep growing. Already familiar with the field thanks to vehicles like the Sonata Hybrid, Tucson Fuel Cell, and Kia Soul EV, for the 2017 model year the Korean siblings are launching their first dedicated hybrids, according to Automotive News. Since last year, the hybrids have been spotted testing several times while wearing heavy camouflage. Hyundai's version will reportedly be styled as a Chevrolet Volt-fighting sedan. Conversely, Kia will go for a more directly Prius-challenging hatchback. Underneath, they'll share a powertrain consisting of a direct-injected, 1.6-liter four-cylinder and electric motor. Both will use the same platform based on the next-gen Elantra and Forte, according to Automotive News. In addition, Hyundai will get a pure EV version of its model to launch in California in 2017, while Kia reportedly won't. According to Automotive News, the companies' strategy is reportedly to be ready when gas prices eventually rise again. "When they come back up and people start looking for hybrids again, it'll be very nice to be able to give buyers an option besides just the Prius," said Adam Kraushaar, president of a New Jersey Hyundai dealer. Further complimenting the electrified plans, a plug-in version of the Kia Optima Hybrid is also reportedly on the way. With its launch, the two brands would have a total of nine hybrid, EV or fuel cell vehicles on offer by the 2018 model year.

2019 Kia Forte Second Drive Review | The notes say it's a good choice

The 2019 Kia Forte is one of those cars that impresses and pleases with its well-rounded goodness. It has few foibles, its engineers and designers capably checked as many boxes as they could, and after a week spent driving around town running errands, I found myself saying, "Yeah, this could be my permanent car for driving around town running errands." And yet, if it wasn't for my test drive notes, I'm pretty sure I would've forgotten the Forte. Its styling is handsome and will certainly age well, but it's not bold nor particularly memorable. The gray paint doesn't help. The interior is well-equipped and sensibly laid out, but I had to consult the photo file to recall what it looked like. The Mazda3 and new Toyota Corolla had no such problems. The driving experience, which is perfectly pleasant and vice free around town, merely manages to demonstrate poise and not be flummoxed by mid-corner heaves when pushed on a mountain road. Multiple drive settings are included — a nice touch — and although Normal is just a little too light and numb, even when driving on the highway, the Sport setting dials in just the right amount of extra effort. So too does the "Smart" setting, which I assume lived up to its name by figuring out how I'd prefer my steering. And yet, it could use more feel and is certainly not a Stinger in a small package. Again, I don't need notes to remember what the wheels of the Mazda3, Honda Civic and Corolla Hatchback felt like in my hands. The Forte ... ah ... So this compact Kia comes standard with a neuralizer from " Men in Black" that wipes out your memories after contact. Oh well. Because what it lacks in memorability, it makes up for with that general foible-free goodness. Take the infotainment system as but one example. The Forte's standard 8-inch touchscreen is a paragon of user friendliness and includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Honda Civic's, by contrast, is wonky and optional. The Corolla's can't be had with Android Auto. The Mazda's isn't a touchscreen. The cabin? It's spacious for four adults aboard. Driver seat comfort? The eight-way power adjustment was spot on for this 6-plus-footer. The trunk? It has 15.3 cubic feet, which is midsize sedan territory, and even bests the previously-thought-to-be jumbo Honda Civic (15.1 cubic feet). The in-car storage?

Autoblog fan favorite car ads from Super Bowl XLIX

Super Bowl XLIX is in the books, and the New England Patriots emerged victorious. Of course, if you're like us, the big game wasn't so much about the battle between the east coast and west, so much as a fight between the world's automotive advertisers. We collected and collated all of last night's new ads and put them together for you to vote on. And yes, we're limiting this year's contest to last night's new features. That's why you aren't seeing Dodge's epic Wisdom among our collection of commercials, and it's a similar story with Chevrolet's Truck Guy Focus Group series, which highlights the new Colorado. You can still vote for your favorites. We won't be closing the voting on our Super Bowl page, so while the winners and losers are correct as of this writing, it's entirely possible that there could be some changes in the rankings as time goes on. So, without any further ado, here are the winning ads based on your voting. Nissan: With Dad Fiat: Ready For Action Jeep: Beautiful Lands BMW: Newfangled Idea Mercedes-Benz: Fable NASCAR: America Start Your Engines As for those ads that failed to impact you, loyal readers, Toyota was the absolute, undisputed loser. The Japanese brand ran four ads in total – two for Toyota and two for Lexus – and all of them have negative tallies as of this writing. Lexus' Make Some Noise and Lets Play and Toyota's One Bold Choice and My Bold Dad both had very weak showings among the commercials that aired, although they weren't alone. Neither Mazda nor Kia scored particularly well, despite featuring celebrity magic act Penn and Teller and former James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, respectively. Chevrolet was the winner of the losers, as of our writing, recording the fewest downvotes for its audience-punking The Big Game ad. If you want to take a second look at the losing ads, you can head back to our Super Bowl page for the complete collection. But for now, head into Comments and let us know what you think of the results.