2007 Kia Spectra Ex on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Kia may produce all-electric version of the Niro crossover

Kia is considering producing an all-electric version of the Niro, the crossover vehicle that was the first from the South Korean company to be designed as a dedicated hybrid vehicle. Kia Motors operating chief Tae-Hyun Oh told the UK's Car Dealer magazine that the Niro's size, utility, and hybrid pedigree, along with stricter worldwide emissions mandates, may push the automaker to make a Niro EV. Kia, whose sister company Hyundai sells the hydrogen fuel-cell Tucson crossover in limited numbers, is also considering making a fuel-cell car in order to boost its green-vehicle pedigree further. Kia has sold more than 1,000 Niro hybrid vehicles since that model debuted in August. An all-electric Niro would be based on the same platform as the Kia Ioniq. That model has hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric variants, reflecting what Kia said earlier this year was a three-pronged attack to broaden the Ioniq's exposure. The all-electric version of the Ioniq, which debuted in South Korea earlier this year and is slated to start sales in the US by the end of 2016, has a 28-kilowatt-hour battery pack that provides a single-charge range of about 110 miles. Currently, Kia sells an all-electric version of the Soul crossover. That model can go 93 miles on a full charge, though reports surfaced in September that the Kia Soul will get a refresh in 2018 that will boost its single-charge range in order to better compete with longer-range models such as the Chevrolet Bolt and Tesla Model 3. The Niro was first shown off as a concept model at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, while a production version was unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show this February. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Kia Niro View 18 Photos News Source: Car Dealer via Hybrid Cars Green Kia Crossover Electric kia niro

Hyundai, Kia and Genesis EVs recalled for damaged charging control unit

Hyundai Motor America and Kia America are recalling a combined 147,100 U.S. vehicles over a damaged charging unit, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Thursday. Hyundai will recall 98,878 vehicles, including certain 2022-2024 Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, Genesis GV60, Genesis GV70 Electrified and Genesis GV80 Electrified models, while Kia will recall 48,232 vehicles impacting certain EV6 models. The Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) "may become damaged over time from transient high voltage and thermal cycling" and stop charging the 12-volt battery, which can result in a loss of drive power increasing the risk of a crash, the safety regulator said. Kia notes that there will be "audible warning chimes and one or more of the following: Illumination of "Check Electric Vehicle System" warning light, Master warning light, Charging system warning light, "Stop vehicle and check power supply" warning light, power down (turtle) warning light and/or reductions in motive power." Dealers will inspect and replace the ICCU and its fuse, as necessary. In addition, dealers will update the ICCU software. Material from Reuters was used in this report. Green Recalls Genesis Hyundai Kia Electric

Kia's second Super Bowl commercial lets booth professionals have their revenge

This is more like it, Kia. After last year's highly successful Adriana Lima-infused Super Bowl commercial for the Optima, we weren't that impressed with this year's Super Bowl ad for the new Sorento called Space Babies that Kia showed us earlier in the week. Its second spot for this year's big game, however, gave us a chuckle.
Called Hotbots and starring Miss USA Alyssa Campanella as a futuristic robot, the ad plays out a fantasy that we know for certain has crossed the minds of many booth professionals. These are the attractive set of women and men who plant themselves next to new cars at auto shows. More than just eye candy, they're usually extremely well educated on the product's specs and features. Despite that fact, they have to put up with constant oogling and questions like, "Do you come with the car?" What this T-1000 won't put up with is fingerprints on her shiny new 2014 Kia Forte, and she does something about it. Watch for yourself below.