2006 Kia Spectra Ex Sedan 4-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

New sketches show Kia small SUV interior

Little more than a week after releasing sketches of the exterior, Kia presents sketches of the interior of its first-ever small global SUV. Sticking to the message of enticements for younger buyers, we're told this will be a "bold design statement" that is "trimmed in high-quality materials throughout" with the aim of creating a "modern ambiance to appeal to young-at-heart, tech-savvy buyers." The renderings appear a good start to supporting those arguments. The centerpiece is a 10.25-inch infotainment screen stood atop the instrument panel. A menu button on the top left, a row of navigation buttons along the bottom edge, and two rows of navigation icons on the screen should keep everything an occupant could want no more than a couple of touches away. Beneath the screen come some chunky air vents, beneath those, an HVAC screen supported by an HVAC knob and controls. Notice how the IP design slides from the control surface into a passenger grab handle anchored on the center tunnel. To the left, a steering wheel loosely modeled on the one from the Sportage, ahead of an instrument binnacle that's a quartet analogue gauges bracketing a digital display. The images show two different interior grades; for instance, one HVAC knob is printed with the word "Auto," while the other isn't, and the steering wheels in the two images are slightly different. The differences are more pronounced around the shifter — which might, in fact, represent two kinds of shifters. AutoPortal reports there'll be an automatic transmission as well as a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. One gear lever is flanked by seven buttons, three of them for the heated steering and ventilated seats. Another button turns off the park assistance feature. Then there's what looks like a hill descent control button, one for some sort of all-wheel drive feature like a locking rear differential, and a final button to turn off the Stop/Start system. The other image looks like the more luxurious trim, even though it's the one without the "Auto" HVAC knob. This gear lever is flanked by eight buttons, most too small to make out, but it's clear that the AWD button is missing, and the ventilated seat icon is now a heated seat icon. There's an electric parking brake switch next to the driver's seat, two cupholders, and the forward surface of the lower cubby holds a 12V outlet and an AUX input. We'll find out what the real thing looks like soon.

The Kia Rio has never looked this good

The word "Rio" immediately conjures images of the Olympics, which ended just days ago. But recalibrate your brain. It's Kia's best-selling model around the world and it will be revealed in September at the Paris Motor Show. The fourth-generation Rio gets a fresh look inside and out. It has a longer wheelbase with a longer hood and front overhang, which Kia says is meant to convey confidence. The sketches released today look similar to the current generation – as we'd expect – but Kia designers dressed it up with a fancier front end and "straight lines and smooth surfacing" which is evident on the sides. Kia also touts the new Rio's safety, connectivity, and improved handling, though it didn't specify the features. You can compare the sketches with the spy shots of a Rio caught running around this week. Rumors also suggest a hotter Rio GT hatch could arrive for 2018. The sketches show the hatchback variant. Kia also sells the Rio as a sedan in the US market. Globally, the Korean automaker moved more than 473,000 Rios last year, and the new model will launch production near the end of this year for Europe. Timing for launches in other markets was not announced. Despite low fuel prices and consumer demand for crossovers, Rio sales have inched up slightly this year to 18,699 units, 1,637 ahead of last year's pace through July. Much of those gains came last month, when Kia sold 1,104 more Rios than it did in July 2015. The Rio was last updated in the US market for the 2016 model year. Related Video:

2017 Kia Forte5 Quick Spin | Sporty compact, lots of bells and whistles

A few months ago, we drove the Honda Civic Sport and found it to be a surprisingly fun and frisky hatch thanks to quick steering, a snappy shifter, and a willing turbo engine. It's also somewhat unusual in being a driver-focused compact, available with a manual, but not solely concerned with performance; sort of a warm hatch as opposed to a hot hatch. Kia's own warm hatch, the Kia Forte5 SX, is a close match for the Honda in some ways, and even better in others – for a price, that is. The Forte5 SX starts on the right foot with its punchy turbocharged four-cylinder. It's the 1.6-liter unit, which you'll also find in the Elantra Sport and Veloster Turbo, and makes a healthy 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque that nearly matches the output of the sportier-than-the-Sport Civic Si. You'll never be waiting for that power either, as the turbo hardly lags, and any lag that is present is masked by how smoothly boost comes into play. The throttle is fairly responsive, and the revs don't get hung up between shifts like they do in the Civic Sport. The Kia continues in the right direction by offering a manual transmission, as our tester had. In fact, the turbo-equipped SX trim is the only way to get a shift-for-yourself transmission on the Forte5. It features reasonably short, light throws, and the gates are a breeze to find. It's a tad rubbery at times, and isn't quite as precise as the Civic Sport's lever, but you won't be disappointed by it. The responsive engine also makes it easy to rev-match downshifts, but the pedals could be a bit closer together for heel-and-toeing. This drivetrain is packaged in the crisp, clean hatchback body of the Forte5. It's refreshingly free of extraneous vents and badging, leaving the body tasteful and classy. It's a body that is happy to change directions, too. It turns in quickly and neutrally, with only mild body roll. The steering itself is also quick and accurate with virtually no dead zone. There are a couple of handling gripes, though. The helm feels a bit overboosted and fairly numb, the ride somewhat unrefined. The body feels less controlled than it should over bumps, and the tires aren't very grippy. Inside the Forte5, things are a bit dour. The only color on the dash aside from black are the modest number of chrome appointments strewn about. Some of the plastic has a faux carbon fiber texture, but it almost makes the dash look cheaper, or cheesier, than it could be with better material finishes.