2014 Kia Cadenza Premium on 2040-cars

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Melissa McCarthy sent fleeing in the Kia Niro Super Bowl teaser

The Super Bowl is drawing near and with it comes a cavalcade of over-the-top and outrageously expensive mid-game ads. The cult of the commercial has grown so large that 60-second ads are getting 15-second teasers. For Kia's eighth year at the Super Bowl, the Korean automaker will be promoting its new hybrid, the Niro. The company released a new trailer hyping its third-quarter ad slot. The teaser doesn't actually feature the Niro. Instead flag-waving actor Melissa McCarthy is shown screaming and fleeing across a field from some unknown assailant, presumably the Niro's rival, a Toyota Prius, done up like the War Rig from Mad Max Fury Road. Kia promises the game day commercial will trace "a heroic and harrowing journey stretching from the polar ice caps to an arid desert" all while showing why the Niro is a new type of crossover. We really just want to know what's written on the flag. Related Video:

2020 Kia Stinger GT-Line becomes only 2.0-liter model on offer

The 2019 Kia Stinger comes in five flavors: 2.0L and Premium with the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and GT, GTS, GT1, and GT2 with the 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6. Beyond the engine, the two lowest trims differ from the GT versions with different grilles, bumpers, wheels, and exterior trim. Having seen an early order guide, CarsDirect says Kia will replace the two base models with a single model that's been restyled with GT cues, while raising the price just $100. The new model is called the Stinger GT-Line, a trim that's been available in other markets for a while on everything from the tiny Picanto to the Sorrento crossover; the pictured car is a UK Stinger GT-Line. The model bolts on the grille and bumpers from the GT, black chrome trim and body-colored door handles, plus 18-inch GT-styled wheels. The cabin gets dressed up with a black headliner no matter the interior color, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and headrests embossed with "GT-Line." The price will be $33,090 plus $995 destination, totaling $34,085, a figure that comes in an even $100 above the 2019 Stinger 2.0L. $34,085The loss of the Premium trim leaves a $6,410 gap between the GT-Line and the base GT trim. The Premium was the way to get a long list of luxury and convenience features paired with the four-cylinder, but it was only $110 less dear than the entry GT with the bigger engine but without the feature set. The price of that GT goes up, meanwhile, CarsDirect saying the 2020 GT will start at $40,495 after destination, a $200 increase over the 2019 model. Furthermore, with the Premium gone, the only way to option automatic emergency braking will be to spend more than $46,000 on the GT1 grade.  Engines don't change for next year, the 2.0-liter producing 255 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, the 3.3-liter putting out 365 hp and 376 lb-ft, both shifting through an eight-speed automatic.

2020 Kia Soul Review | Everything you need to know

The 2020 Kia Soul finds itself at the heart of the growing subcompact crossover segment, offering a compelling blend of space, value and style. It wasn't always that way, however. Now in its third generation, the Soul was once a boxy oddball with few, if any, apples-to-apples competitors. Today, the subcompact crossover segment has effectively been built up around it, yet despite this competition, it remains one of the most characterful and well-rounded choices. A lack of all-wheel drive may be a detriment to some buyers, but it's also no longer alone in that regard. What's new for 2020? The Soul is all-new and represents the third-generation model, but it follows the same successful formula as its predecessors. Its trademark proportions have been maintained, and apart from more cargo capacity and a few extra inches in overall length, its dimensions inside and out are consistent. However, its styling has been reworked (note the wraparound LED taillights, the Kia grille that's been grossly enlarged and moved to the lower bumper, and the thin slit of lighting above) and the cabin features a new, more cohesive design that seems to wrap behind the dashboard from door to door (it's very Jaguar). The 2020 Soul also introduces two new models: the more rugged-ish, crossover-like Soul X-Line, and the sporty GT-Line, which is the only way to get the powerful turbocharged engine upgrade. Importantly, fuel economy has improved across the board, in part thanks to a new CVT transmission. What's the interior and in-car technology like? It's a shame that Kia didn't make the interior as fun and characterful as the exterior. It certainly funks things up a bit with triangular patterns in the doors, a squircle-shaped center infotainment pod and tweeters nestled into triangular air vents, but apart from the pricey GT-Line (see the red trim above), it's all rendered in various shades of black or dark grey, effectively hiding them in a colorless, drab interior. On the other hand, characterful interiors can also be ergonomically challenging (see Mini), and like other Kias, the Soul impresses with simple and easily reached controls — including the standard seven-inch touchscreen. You don't need to be a member of this car's Millenial (or younger) audience to figure the thing out. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, along with a single USB port (and an extra two arrive along with wireless smartphone charging in the EX and GT-Line 1.6T trim levels). How big is it?