2024 Kia Sportage Lx on 2040-cars

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2021 Kia Stinger facelift caught in the wild in new spy photos [Updated]

(The gallery has been updated to include fresh photos of the 2021 Kia Stinger prototype testing on the Nurburgring.) The 2021 Kia Stinger was caught testing on the roads of Germany this week sporting heavy camouflage to disguise the changes coming in its mid-cycle update.  This prototype is wearing extensive exterior and interior disguise, hinting that both will receive significant updates as part of the 2021 facelift. We can't see much under all of this vinyl and cloth cladding, but the fact that updates are coming at all should be taken as a good sign for Kia's beleaguered rear-wheel drive sedan.  Despite rumors swirling that the large touring fastback is destined to get the axe, stories have leaked suggesting that the 2021 model will get some power upgrades to go with its styling and interior changes. Most have ruled out the possibility of new engines, but the existing turbocharged 2.0-liter and 3.3-liter mills are expected to be tuned for a little more punch.  This will be unwelcome news to those still holding out hope that the 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 from the new Genesis G80 sedan, which delivers 380 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque, would make its way under the hood of the Stinger GT. And if you figured the new, 300-horsepower, 2.5-liter turbo-four making its way under the hood of several forthcoming Hyundai and Genesis models would be a shoe-in too, well, the prospects for that seem similarly bleak.  If there's any hope for enthusiasts, it lies in the fact that Hyundai and Kia have shown a stubborn dedication to maintaining production and U.S. distribution of slow-selling halo models such as the Kia K900, which has been a slow seller since its introduction.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Stinger Goes West Road Trip | Driving the Kia Stinger GT from Colorado to Oregon

Hyundai and Kia will offer AI assistants in 2019 cars

Hyundai and Kia both have reputations as early adopters of in-car tech, and that's truer than ever now that voice assistants are becoming a practical reality on the road. The Korean automakers have revealed that they plan to include AI assistants in their new cars starting from 2019, with every vehicle being "connected" by 2025. As Hyundai explained, they've been working with SoundHound to create an Intelligent Personal Agent (based on Houndify) that both makes proactive suggestions (such as reminding you of a meeting) and offers remote control of both your car and your home. This sounds a whole lot like what other voice assistants do, but the car brands are counting on support for "multiple-command recognition" as the ace up their sleeve. If you tell your car to check the weather and turn on the lights at the same time, it'll do both instead of scratching its head like so many other AI helpers. You won't have to wait until 2019 to see the technology in action. Hyundai will unveil Intelligent Personal Agent at CES 2018, and it'll test a "simplified" take on the Agent in hydrogen fuel cell cars slated to drive on South Korean roads throughout the year. It's hard to say if IPA will have an advantage over companies borrowing "off-the-shelf" AI like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, but it's more the ubiquity that will be important -- you won't have to buy a premium-priced model to treat your car like a smart home hub.Reporting by Jon Fingas for Engadget.Related Video: Image Credit: Hyundai Auto News CES Hyundai Kia Technology Emerging Technologies CES 2018

Rivian R1T, Mini Cooper Electric owners happiest with their EVs

The J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study is out, and there's change at the top. With the swelling adoption of electric vehicles in the U.S. over in the past two years especially, the third year of the EVX study changes focus to first-time EV buyers. Those two factors encouraged change at the top of both premium and mass-market segments. Among premium EVs, the Rivian R1T pickup scored overall victory in its first year of eligibility with a satisfaction score of 794 out of 1,000. The Tesla Model 3 takes second place with 759 points. Tesla had won the top two premium spots in the study in 2021 and in 2022. The average score in the premium segment was 756. The Tesla Model Y (754), Audi E-Tron (735), and Polestar 2 (724) filled out the list of the five eligible models this year. Among the ten eligible mass-market vehicles, the Mini Cooper Electric nabbed the overall win by scoring 782. The Kia EV6 came second with 762 points, keeping Kia in the top two; the Kia Niro EV won the mass-market segment the previous two years. The Ford Mustang Mach-E (742), Hyundai Ioniq 5 (738), and Volkswagen ID.4 (735) completed the top five, the Niro EV (733) in sixth. All were above the segment average of 730. The four models fell below the segment average were the Ford F-150 Lightning (723), Chevrolet Bolt EUV (716), Chevrolet Bolt (711), and Nissan Leaf (698). How are the scores derived? J.D. Power worked with EV app maker and research firm PlugShare to get owner responses in ten areas: accuracy of stated battery range; availability of public charging stations; battery range; cost of ownership; driving enjoyment; ease of charging at home; interior and exterior styling; safety and technology features; service experience; and vehicle quality and reliability. Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power, said, "Recent vehicle launches from both new brands and traditional automakers have had a profound effect on what factors are most important in the ownership experience. Today’s EV owners are looking for quality, reliability, driving enjoyment, safety and technology features." The Mini, in fact, scored highest of any premium and mass-market EV in the studyÂ’s highest-weighted index factor, quality and reliability.