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Kia teases Geneva concept, is a Nissan Juke rival in the cards?

These four photos tell us most about the pomegranate-red concept Kia will be bringing to this year's 2013 Geneva Motor Show. An accompanying 66-word press release gives away nothing, so we're left to wonder if this is some kind of Nissan Juke rival that the South Korean company is toying with.
Even with the exaggerated dimensions of concept cars, this unnamed "urban concept car" looks somewhat larger than the average subcompact hatch, and there are some seriously Juke-ish lines around the rear three-quarter. This concept, however, appears to be a two-door model, unlike the Juke with its hidden rear handles, but that doesn't mean a production model couldn't add a couple of entry points.
We'll know for sure in March. You'll have to make the four high-res photos and those 66 words in the release below last until then.

Kia to show widebody custom Stinger at SEMA

Kia will take to the SEMA Show later this month with a modified version of its Stinger fastback sedan that it developed with West Coast Customs. This tuned version gets a number of high-performance enhancements, including a widened body, lowered front and rear suspension, gloss black front grille, carbon fiber aero kit, 21-inch forged wheels, widebody fender flares, rear diffuser and squared-off exhaust tips. The Stinger is a fastback sedan and the brand's first GT offering, inspired by the grand touring cars of the '60s and '70s, designed in Frankfurt and developed on the Nurburgring circuit. When it goes on sale in December, it'll come in a choice of two engines: a base 2.0-liter turbocharged four pushing out 255 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, and a GT version with a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 generating 365 hp and 376 lb-ft that's also found in the Genesis G90. It also comes in rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations, with standard Nappa leather interior and plenty of passenger and cargo space. You can read our First Drive impressions of the GT version here. Kia also promises upgrades to the tuned Stinger's cockpit. It'll be unveiled Oct. 31 alongside two other custom Kia vehicles, with more news to come in the days ahead.Related Video: Featured Gallery Kia Stinger GT Widebody by West Coast Customs: SEMA 2017 View 9 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2017 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com SEMA Show Kia Sedan kia stinger gt west coast customs

Hyundai Palisade and Genesis GV80 production idled

In February of this year, the coronavirus pandemic forced Hyundai Motor Company to idle production at most of its factories in South Korea. The Chinese suppliers that provided wiring harnesses for models like the Hyundai Palisade and Genesis GV80 hadn't recovered from their COVID-19 shutdowns, causing a shortage of components. Since then, Hyundai, along with automakers around the globe, has faced repeated hurdles to restoring desired production numbers. Just-Auto reports another hiccup, with Hyundai compelled to shut down lines that build the Palisade and GV80 at its Ulsan, South Korea complex again last week over a lack of parts. Just-Auto didn't specify the parts in question. On top of that, Hyundai had already idled three lines at two plants after an employee at a supplier died, the cause of death thought to be COVID-19. Kia needed to do the same for two entire facilities in South Korea after two plant workers were diagnosed with the illness. In the U.S., Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama was idled from March 18 to May 4, resuming production at lower output on May 4 to manage inventory after the coronavirus and lockdown measures gutted new car sales.   Hyundai, like giant Ford and tiny McLaren, will be ruing the lost momentum of its recovery. The group turned in its best quarterly profit since 2017 at the end of last year, thanks to the larger margins that crossovers and SUVs deliver. Hyundai brand U.S. sales last year of 688,771 units was tantalizing close to an annual sum the brand hasn't hit since 2012. In January, the automaker predicted it would improve on last year's 3.5% group operating profit margin by hitting 5% this year. The nearly 10,000 reservations taken for the GV80 fueled the optimism, when Genesis sold just over 21,000 vehicles in total last year in the U.S. However, through the first quarter, group sales were down 11% globally and in the U.S. Worse, Just-Auto says the group's global sales have nosedived 26% through the first five months. The production halts on the models that deliver the best return will prolong the pain and make it sharper. Related Video: