2001 Kia Sportage on 2040-cars

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Kia shows the inside of its body-on-frame Mohave the Master SUV

Kia published a sketch showing the inside of a full-size SUV named Mohave the Master that it plans to launch in its home market in the coming weeks. The family hauler will be positioned near the top of its South Korean range as its most expensive high-riding model, and unverified rumors claim it could appear in American showrooms sooner or later. Presumably named after the Mojave Desert, the Mohave lives up to its upmarket positioning with an elegant-looking interior characterized by horizontal surfaces that emphasize its width, wood trim, plus contrast stitching on the dashboard and on the door panels. Keep in mind the sketch might show a relatively expensive trim level, and lesser variants could look considerably less posh. The sketch suggests the Mojave shares no parts with the Telluride, the three-row SUV Kia launched on the American market in 2019. The infotainment system's touchscreen is neatly integrated into the dashboard, not propped up on it, and silver accents frame the piano black center console. The Telluride is Kia's answer to the Volkswagen Atlas; the Mohave looks like the firm's Touareg. kia-mohave-the-master-exterior-1 View 3 Photos Stepping outside, the Mohave wears a bold design defined by an upright grille with chrome-look vertical slats, LED headlights and a model-specific emblem instead of the usual Kia logo. Its rear end receives a wide light bar with LED inserts that echo the shape of the grille. The fresh design hides an evolution of the body-on-frame architecture found under the previous Mohave, which the firm's American division launched as the short-lived Borrego in 2008. While Kia hasn't released technical specifications, the emblem on the hatch confirms one of the engines offered will be a 3.0-liter V6. It might be the turbodiesel unit currently available in the Mohave, though it's not unreasonable to assume Kia will also offer a gasoline-powered six. Another emblem denotes the availability of four-wheel drive.  The Kia Mohave the Master will allegedly go on sale in South Korea in September, so a full reveal is imminent. Rumors point to an American comeback, but Kia hasn't announced plans to add another SUV to its line-up in the United States. Auto News Kia SUV

Kia HabaNiro concept is an AWD electric wonder car for everyone

Kia filled its press release for the HabaNiro concept with so much bombast hoisted aloft by adjectives and acronyms that we don't know what to make of the actual concept. Conceived and designed at the Kia Design Center America (KDCA) in California, the HabaNiro's labeled "a whole new category of mobility – 'The Everything Car' or ECEV." The "fully-electric, all-wheel drive, four-seat wonder car" goes more than 300 miles between charges, has butterfly wing doors and Level 5 autonomy. On the other hand, considering this is a concept, the boasts and technology could be considered humble. The idea is that the compact four-door crossover is ready and intended to go anywhere, from urban errands to winding roads to "off-roading with confidence to remote wilderness adventures." The concept is 1.5 inches shorter than the production Kia Niro, six inches wider, three inches taller, on a wheelbase that's 5.2 inches longer. The butch exterior belies the close dimensional relationship, the HabaNiro clad in Snowdrift Pearl White paint set off by Satin Metallic Granite Grey cladding in front and an anodized Lava Red aero panel in back. The 20-inch wheels wear 265/50 tires, rubber just a fraction shorter than the BFG All-Terrains on the Mercedes-Benz Concept GLB. A satin aluminum skidplate, billet aluminum tow hooks, anodized Lava Red aluminum accents, and LED DRLs that pulse like a heartbeat ensure no one underestimates the conceptual attitude. The undisclosed battery powers two electric motors, one on each axle for e-AWD. Opening the butterfly doors uncovers a Lava Red interior. Unlike the electric Kia concept in Geneva reveling in its bouquet of screens, the HabaNiro cabin omits rectangular screens, knobs, and buttons. A full-width heads-up display on the windshield provides all the necessary info, projected from an instrument panel that doubles as a touchpad with "Sensory Light Feedback." That, along with the ability to project movies on the screen, sounds great during Level 5 operation. But when a human needs to drive... well, we need to see it in action. You can also sign us up for demos of the "Perimeter Ventilation System," which "quietly and evenly blows curtain of air throughout the cabin" and sounds like what you get on a Greyhound. And the patterned floor is lit with changeable mood lighting that "reflects onto surfaces within the cabin," which sounds like what you get in the club.

2014 Kia Sorento

Big Changes Below, But Just A Little Off The Top
It happens all the time. Three or four years into an automobile's lifecycle, the manufacturer goes back to the drawing board, making what it hopes are vital improvements to keep its product at the top of the sales charts. It's true of the vehicle we're discussing today, the 2014 Kia Sorento, but unlike many midlife facelifts, most of what's new here can't be seen with the naked eye.
Yes, there are the normal changes to the front and rear fascias, and a few nips and tucks here and there to improve the crossover's outward appearance. But, for the first time in as long as we can remember, the big news here is that the new Sorento is actually riding atop a new platform, according to Kia.