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2020 Kia Niro Hybrid gets tweaked design, more tech features

Kia's gasoline-electric Niro will enter the 2020 model year with minor design updates inside and out. The re-styled crossover made its debut next to the new Kia Seltos at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show. Stylists started the redesign by giving the Niro's front end a nip and tuck. The 2020 model stands out from the outgoing 2019 variant with new-look headlights, chevron-shaped fog lights Citroen likely wishes it had thought of first, and grille with diamond-shaped inserts. The changes made to the rear end are largely limited to the bottom part of the bumper, which looks more rugged thanks in part to gray trim designed to mimic a skid plate. And 2020-specific 16- and 18-inch alloys round out the changes. Experiencing deja vu? It's likely because the European-spec Niro made its debut during the 2019 Geneva Motor Show with the same look.  Peek inside and you'll spot a redesigned, 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system. Customers can upgrade to a 10.25-inch infotainment screen programmed with navigation at an extra cost. The list of options includes shift paddles that let the driver dial in the desired amount of regenerative braking, an electronic parking brake, and, for a more festive vibe, ambient lightning that glows in six colors. There are no mechanical changes, meaning the Niro carries on with a hybrid powertrain made up of a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine bolted to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and an electric motor that draws power from a 1.56-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The two power sources join forces to deliver 139 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, and they give the crossover nearly 600 miles of driving range. Fuel economy checks in up to 50 mpg in a combined cycle. Kia expanded its suite of available electronic driving aids with lane following and lane-keeping assist, which help keep the Niro in its lane. The crossover is also offered with high-beam assist. The 2020 Kia Niro will arrive in showrooms in early 2020. Pricing will be released in the weeks leading up to its on-sale date. The company confirmed the Plug-In Hybrid model will receive the same updates as its plug-less sibling, and it will go on sale at about the same time. It's reasonable to assume the Niro EV will go under the knife, too, but Kia excluded it from its announcement.

Kia previews new Cadenza

Kia is preparing to roll out a new Cadenza. Which only makes sense, since the current model has been in production since 2010 – even if it only reached North American showrooms in 2013. And to give us an idea of what we can expect, the Korean automaker has released a trio of renderings of the design. From what we can see so far, the upcoming new Kia Cadenza looks like a familiar evolution of the current model, with elements of the new Optima and other recent Kia concepts – like the Sportspace and Novo – thrown in for good measure. It looks sharper than any of those, however, with a long hood and a wide, low stance. The interior looks promising as well, with a horizontal dashboard design and what's sure to be a more upscale look and feel inside. The model known in its home market as the K7 will slot in once again near the top of the Kia lineup underneath the K900. It's destined to reach showrooms sometime in the new year. Kia's timing in releasing these renderings suggests we might see it in LA later this month, where the new Sportage will also be making its US auto show debut. So to avoid splitting the spotlight, we might have to wait a little longer until another show like Detroit to see it in full and up close. Kia Motors previews next-generation Cadenza 12-Nov-2015 The all-new Kia Cadenza will set new benchmarks for cutting-edge design, interior quality and contemporary luxury when it goes on sale in overseas markets in 2016. Previewed for the first time in new images released today, the next-generation Cadenza maintains the progressive, contemporary image of the current model, while introducing higher levels of luxury and refinement to the large sedan segment. The all-new Cadenza offers a bold reinterpretation of the current model's popular design, featuring an elongated bonnet, a wider, lower stance and sharper styling lines, with a thoroughly modern execution of signature Kia design cues ensuring the new Cadenza is instantly recognizable. The cabin of the all-new Cadenza has been designed anew, boasting a fresh, luxurious appearance and layout that offers a sense of width and spaciousness. With a premium new design and higher-quality materials than ever before – two elements inspired by European tastes – the Cadenza's new cabin will set a new standard for luxury and refinement in its class. The all-new Kia Cadenza will go on sale in overseas markets in 2016.

Automatically efficient | 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid Quick Spin

Automakers are stuck between a rock and hard place with hybrid vehicles. On one hand, efficient hybrids are a necessary evil – for lack of a better phrase – to hit increasingly stringent CAFE standards. But on the other hand, low fuel prices mean it takes an increasingly long time for consumers to see a return on the investment of a hybrid's price premium. These factors have pushed automakers even harder to squeeze every mile per gallon possible out their hybrid offerings. That's inevitably led to powertrain innovations designed to maximize just how long and how far hybrids can run on pure electric power and how often the gas engine can shut down. Occasionally, this doesn't work out all that well – as is the case with the new Nissan Rogue Hybrid, for instance – but there are companies getting things right. Kia, with its 2017 Optima Hybrid, is one of them. Drive Notes Kia didn't try to get too creative with the Optima Hybrid's powertrain for 2017. There's a 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated, four-cylinder gas engine, a 38-kilowatt electric motor, and a 1.62-kWh battery pack. Total system output is 192 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque, with EPA estimated fuel economy ratings of 39 miles per gallon in the city and 46 mpg on the highway for a 42-mpg combined rating. That's all spiffy. But taking a six-speed automatic and replacing the torque converter with a clutch and the electric motor, Kia built a hybrid sedan that smoothly intertwines disparate power sources as well as a conventional hybrid like a Toyota Prius, while allowing the Optima Hybrid to take greater advantage of zero-emissions systems. Lift off the throttle and the four-cylinder engine shuts down and lets the 50-hp electric motor handle light, constant-throttle cruising below 62 miles per hour. Dig deeper into the gas, and the petrol powerplant quickly restarts and delivers the bulk of the Optima's power for heavy acceleration and higher-speed conditions. The Optima's back and forth is rarely disjointed – Kia's hybrid feels a lot like its conventionally powered model in normal driving. It's only under sudden, wide-open throttle situations, where the hybrid systems feel caught off guard, that the Optima Hybrid feels flatfooted. A less obvious benefit of the six-speed automatic, of course, is that it leads to quieter operation. There's no rubber-band-like revving like you'd get with a CVT because the transmission can actually shift up a gear.