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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.

South Korea firms up fuel economy regs following Hyundai/Kia debacle

According to a report from Reuters, South Korea's government has drafted strict new rules for automakers to follow when calculating fuel economy. The legislation comes after a major snafu by Hyundai and Kia that resulted in the automakers lowering the estimated fuel mileage of many popular models - some by several miles per gallon, including the Soul subcompact above - and compensating owners in the US and Canada for the reduction.
The new fuel economy rules were announced by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in South Korea and will see average mileage ratings drop by roughly three to five percent, according to the report. In addition, manufacturers found guilty of overstating mileage figures will be liable for fines of up to $900,000.
These sweeping new regulations will go into effect in the second half of 2013 and, while they won't have any effect on EPA estimates for Hyundai and Kia vehicles in the United States, they are expected to result in new ratings for the two automakers in their home market of South Korea, where they enjoy a whopping 70-percent market share.

Honda, Hyundai and Kia get best word-of-mouth recommendations in US

Forget advertising, incentives and, yes, even our excellently crafted vehicle reviews, sometimes the best way for automakers to sell cars is still good ol' fashioned word of mouth. In an attempt to measure this "word of mouth" power, The Boston Consulting Group, a management consulting firm, has created a new study called the Brand Advocacy Index (BAI). The index takes a look at how various industries perform from person to person. Those industries include automotive, smartphones, grocery, mobile telecommunications and banking.
The study polled more than 32,000 individuals across Europe and in the US to come up with the top 55 brands in these various industries. On the automotive side of things, the top brands in the US were Honda, Hyundai and Kia, all tied at 63 percent. On a global scale, Volkswagen and Toyota scored the highest with a 65-percent BAI rating (both in France). The average BAI for auto industry players tallied 50 percent.
As for companies in other industries, Apple's iPhone was the index's top-rated smartphone, Trader Joe's was the highest recommended grocery store, Virgin was sat atop the mobile telecom industry and USAA was the top retail bank. Scroll down for the full press release on the new study.