2022 Kia Telluride Lx on 2040-cars

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2014 Kia Sportage facelift arrives with updated 2.4L, new grille

The third-generation Sportage has been around for a few years now, but Kia is making some minor changes to its compact crossover for 2014. As expected with a small, mid-cycle refresh, there isn't anything too major to report here, but the important news for the 2014 Sportage involves what's behind that modestly updated fascia.
Kia has revamped the Sportage's base 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine to add direct injection, which is said to improve efficiency, although no fuel economy numbers have been released yet. Switching to DI has also increased the engine's output, up slightly from 176 horsepower and 168 pound-feet of torque in 2013 to 182 hp and 178 lb-ft for 2014. Additionally, LX models now receive the sportier shock setup previously available only on EX and SX trims.
More importantly, the base trim level has been dropped from the 2014 Sportage lineup, meaning the car's manual transmission has been axed, as well. Pricing hasn't been released yet, but the 2013 Sportage already undercut competitors like the Chevy Equinox and Toyota RAV4 by thousands of dollars, so even a modest increase for 2014 would still position the Kia rather nicely in the segment.

2020 Kia Telluride First Drive | The cool dad of crossovers

TELLURIDE, Colo. — We're going to be talking a lot here about practicality and value, but inevitably, the main appeal of the 2020 Kia Telluride comes down to its styling. People dig it. It's boxy, rugged and has a whiff of Range Rover premium cool. In a three-row crossover segment dominated by non-descript family haulers, the Telluride stands out by subtly flying its family flag. It's the cool dad in a leather jacket and Ray Ban Wayfarers standing next to the shlub in wrinkled khakis. The visual attraction carries inside. There is a style present in even low trim levels that you just won't get in the Honda Pilots and Subaru Ascents of this world, which prioritize simple functionality. The risk to that approach is that it makes it especially difficult on upper trims to make them look and feel like vehicles that warrant price tags approaching $50,000. The Telluride has no such issue, as the range-topping SX trim level we tested boasts a cabin worthy of such a luxury-nearing price tag. There's convincing wood trim, soft leather and leather-like surfaces everywhere, and feature content that's second to none in the segment. Better yet, the volume-selling EX trim level one rung down the ladder has pretty much the same look, but with fewer high-lux features slathered on. While the Telluride's mechanically related cousin, the Hyundai Palisade, has generated plenty of interest since its introduction, the big Kia feels like it has captured actual buzz. Still, the two are awfully similar on paper. The wheelbase is identical, as is the 3.8-liter V6, eight-speed automatic and 5,000-pound towing capacity. The Kia's is a mere 0.8 inch longer and 0.4 inches taller, but there's 1.8-inch greater third-row headroom, and three more cubic feet of space behind the third row — perhaps its most significant difference. The Telluride's cabin is also bigger and more spacious than popular entries like the Pilot, Ascent and Toyota Highlander. Only the 2020 Ford Explorer and gargantuan Chevrolet Traverse enjoy a size advantage among three-row crossovers. Importantly, however, the Telluride's big enough inside that shoppers should be able to easily distinguish it from the Sorento, despite both having three rows of seats. Simply, the Sorento is for people who might use the third row on occasion for short distances and/or with short people. The Telluride's third row can be used by anyone on a regular basis.

Genesis bringing an EV concept and G90 to New York Auto Show

It's official, the entire Hyundai Group has plans for the New York Auto Show. During the Hyundai Sonata press launch in South Korea, design head Luc Donckerwolke told Roadshow "You'll have an electric show car for Genesis." This year will be the charm for Genesis and EVs, after showing the GV80 SUV concept and its hydrogen fuel cell powertrain in 2017, and the electric Essentia coupe concept last year. We will also see the production version of the U.S. market Genesis G90 and its mongo grille. The premium brand's debuts will join the new Sonata sedan and Venue crossover, and an as-yet-unnamed Kia show car expected to be our version of the SP Signature concept potentially called Tusker. Hyundai-Kia isn't getting its electric razzle dazzle ready for New York alone. Auto Express reports the group is working on a new electric car platform to serve the carmaker the same way Volkswagen's MEB architecture serves the German group's brands. At the moment, the only four EVs in the South Korean automaker's range are the Hyundai Kona and Ioniq, and the Kia e-Niro and Soul. They are all built on ICE platforms, the Kona and e-Niro still proving popular enough for this year's planned UK-market production to sell out already. According to a "company insider," the dedicated EV platform is around two years away and will focus on B- and C-segment cars. That's the same year that Genesis is expected to have its EV ready, but unless the luxury arm has plans to dip its grille into C-segment waters, Genesis likely has other EV platform plans. By 2025, Hyundai and Kia have said they'll have 14 EVs in the combined lineup as part of 38 electrified offerings. Whatever's on the way could prove far more radical than today's offerings. Donckerwolke told Auto Express that in order to attract the future EV buyers that aren't necessarily car people, "[You] have to ask whether you want science fiction or whether you want to conform. We can create something that doesn't appeal to someone in the traditional sense." If the head designer gets his way, 3D-printing will help whip up those attractions. Last year's Essentia concept showed off 3D-printed carbon fiber ornament, but the potential goes much further.