2020 Kia Telluride S on 2040-cars

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Kia Niro hybrid and PHEV refreshed with Niro EV's looks and tech for Geneva

Two years ago, Kia unveiled the Niro hybrid at the Geneva Motor Show. This year, Kia will bring updated versions of the Niro hybrid and PHEV to Geneva, putting the battery electric crossovers under the influence of the Niro EV. The powertrains don't change, but the looks do. New projector headlights adopt what Kia calls its "ice cube" design above a new bumper. The DRLs turn into double arrows beneath, mimicking the single arrow DRL on the Niro EV. LED fog lights are optional. In back, new LED taillights pair with new light reflectors and rear fog lamps that sit between a silver skid plate. Two new 16-inch wheel designs will be standard fit, a new 18-inch wheel on the options sheet. The interior get a serious spruce in color and technology, especially with the optional color packs. A soft-touch coating covers the instrument panel, gloss black or satin chrome highlight the rest of the cabin. Paddle shifters for the six-speed double-clutch have been grafted onto the steering wheel. The handbrake lever gives way to an electronic parking brake, and there are larger rear brake discs. Depending on market, Kia will offer Red-Orange or Plum color packs. The former merely splashes hues about the cabin, as in the red contrast stitching and red-orange dash trim. Plum turns the interior fruity, adding perforated plum-colored leather to the seats, "warm purple stitching," and a plum armrest on the doors. Standard digital touches include a 4.2-inch TFT screen in the binnacle, and an eight-inch infotainment screen. The optional system installs a seven-inch TFT panel in the binnacle and a 10.25-inch TFT infotainment window. That upgraded spec will run Kia's new Uvo Connect, which uses a SIM card to retrieve and update live data. The lengthy list of driver assistance and safety features Kia's known for welcomes two optional features. The new adaptive cruise control adds a stop and go function, able to restart on its own after stopping in traffic. Lane Following Assist will follow the vehicle in front. Related Video:

Recharge Wrap-up: Kia Soul EV wins Canadian Green Car of the Year, Proterra logs 1 million miles

The Kia Soul EV has been awarded the inaugural Canadian Green Car of the Year Award. It beat out three other finalists - the Honda Fit, Subaru Legacy and Toyota Camry Hybrid - to receive the honors at the Vancouver International Auto Show from the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Before narrowing the field to the four finalists, seven eligible cars were chosen after back-to-back testing during the AJAC's "TestFest" last fall. "This acknowledgement is testimony to Kia's ongoing commitment to deliver environmentally friendly automotive solutions and diverse powertrains to consumers without compromising on design or comfort," says Kia Canada Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Maria Soklis. Read more in the press release from the AJAC. Proterra electric buses have logged a cumulative 1 million miles of revenue service. To celebrate, Proterra held a special event at its Greenville, SC plant, wherein it recognized each of its transit agency partners with an award commemorating the milestone. Proterra President and CEO Ryan Popple say Proterra and its partners "can offer the world a million proof points to bolster the fact that electric vehicles not only offer great performance, but represent the best total cost of ownership and environmental option for transit agencies." Proterra estimates its customers have saved 250,000 gallons of fuel and 3.5 million pounds of emissions over those million miles. Read more in the press release from Proterra below. EV Connect and GE are teaming up for a joint marketing and product agreement. The agreement makes GE the preferred provider of charging stations for EV Connect, giving them access to GE's WattStation and DuraStation chargers and WattStation Connect cloud-based operating platform. Of course, the agreement also makes EV Connect GE's preferred management company. "Together with EV Connect, we will be able to provide customers with an innovative, end-to-end solution capable of meeting customers' everyday EV charging station requirements," says GE's Seth Cutler. The agreement also expands the market of both companies worldwide. Read more in EV Connect's press release.

Kia Soul now has more turbo and 201 hp

Back in May, Kia revealed in a new hamster commercial that we would be seeing a turbocharged version of the Soul sometime this winter. After months of waiting, we finally get our first look at the Soul Turbo in the form of the European-market Soul SX. Obviously, the most important part of the newly-boosted Soul lies under the hood. There you will find the familiar turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder from the Veloster Turbo and the Elantra Sport. Unsurprisingly, it makes the same 201 horsepower as its corporate cousins. But that's still a healthy 37-horsepower improvement over the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter. The engine is bolted up to a new 7-speed dual clutch transmission. Kia didn't say anything about a manual option, but we certainly hope they'll offer one. The company claims the Soul SX has a 0-62 mph time of 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 124 mph. Aside from the engine, there are subtle exterior and interior tweaks that distinguish this quicker Soul. The front bumper gets a larger, more aggressive grille, and the side sills are slightly wider. The car also receives exclusive 10-spoke, 18-inch wheels, red accents and Soul badge, and a twin-tip exhaust. Inside, the Soul SX has a black cloth and leather interior featuring orange stitching and the obligatory flat-bottomed steering wheel. Kia also revealed that the Soul SX is now available for ordering. However, this is just the European model. We still have yet to see the final US-spec version, but we'll probably see it very soon. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Kia Soul SX: Paris 2016 View 12 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Paris Motor Show Kia Crossover Hatchback Performance 2016 paris motor show kia soul turbo