2023 Kia Telluride Sx-prestige X-pro on 2040-cars

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2021 Kia Sorento spied racing around the Nurburgring

Last time our spy shooters caught the next-gen Kia Sorento, it was doing something strenuous and taxing (towing a BMW X5). This time the mid-size crossover is on the Nurburgring. Perhaps Kia has visions of being a Ring Taxi. We kid, but it’s always fun to see family SUVs pounding around the German racetrack. The previous Sorento we captured had a massive tent over the rear concealing the design. This tester has no such apparatus, so we can see exactly what Kia is working with. ThereÂ’s a bit of bodywork at the rear window line that juts outward strongly. Perhaps this is just trying to throw us off the trail. The general shape of the rear window and slant is the same as the current Sorento. This just looks far more pronounced due to the ducktail-like piece sticking out. As for the third rear window, itÂ’s shaped just like the slanting window in the current Sorento. These spy shots donÂ’t suggest a floating roof design for the time being. Of all the design changes coming to the Sorento, the front may be the most dramatic. ThereÂ’s plenty of camouflage hiding whatÂ’s underneath, but the design appears to be a bit more butch and tough than the gentle slopes and curves on the current Sorento. We donÂ’t think Kia is going full Telluride with the strong, squared-off appearance, but the SorentoÂ’s front fascia is definitely edging that way. This prototype itself is still looking rather unkempt — just look at those exposed “taillights” and the uneven/weird rear valance. ItÂ’s expected to be a 2021 model year vehicle, so weÂ’re likely to see more put-together Sorentos racing around later this year or early 2020.

2014 Kia Forte sedan priced from $15,900*

During our recent First Drive of the 2014 Kia Forte sedan, Kia revealed many of the sedan's specs, but left out pricing and fuel economy for its all-new compact sedan. With the new Forte set to hit dealerships soon, Kia has announced the starting prices for the sedan's two initial trim levels and released the fuel economy for the EX trim level equipped with the bigger engine. Marking a slight $500 jump in price over the current 2013 model, the 2014 Forte sedan will have a starting MSRP of $15,900 (*not including a destination charge of $800).
This price is for the base LX sedan with the 148-horsepower, 1.8-liter inline-four paired to the manual gearbox, but buyers wanting an automatic transmission will have to pony up an extra $1,500. Some of the notable features standard on the LX include Bluetooth and heated, power-folding door mirrors.
Stepping up to the EX trim level will run $19,400, but it also brings the peppier 2.0-liter direct-injected four-cylinder producing 173 horsepower and returning 24 miles per gallon in the city, 36 mpg highway and a combined rating of 28 mpg; Kia says these are EPA estimates, but the EPA's website does not yet list the 2014 Forte. Kia is still holding out on fuel economy for the base engine.

Hyundai Group invests $90 million in Rimac to develop electric halo cars

The Hyundai Group is the next large automaker to make pilgrimage to Croatia, all for the purpose of investing 80 million euros ($90 million) in Rimac. Hyundai has chipped in 64 million euros ($72 million), while Kia added 16 million euros ($18 million). The tie-up puts a much faster spin on the South Korean automaker's electrification goals, with current plans to get 44 "eco-friendly models" on sale by 2025. Developing products with Rimac means working up two proper halo models to lead the charge. The press release stated Hyundai's intent to "to lead the high-performance electrified vehicle market and enhance its status as a game changer in Clean Mobility." According to Thomas Schemera, EVP of the group's product division, "Our goal is to popularize electric vehicles and to create social value through world-class technology and innovation in performance." The Hyundai Kona Electric, Ioniq and Nexo, and the Kia Soul EV and Niro EV have all won praise, but won't be enough in their current forms to garner the attention Hyundai and Kia desire. We'll see first fruits as soon as next year. Two high-performance electric prototypes are expected to debut, one being a battery-electric vehicle, the other a hydrogen fuel cell EV. The battery-powered offering will be a zero-emission version of Hyundai's mid-engined sports car for the N division. This has been in the works for seven years now, with three concepts put on show starting with the Veloster Midship in 2014. The RM15 followed a year later, the RM16 N (pictured) a year after that. The automaker didn't indicate what the FCEV would be. The aim, however, is to bring both to marker "at a later time." On Rimac's side, the investment helps the small Croatian on its quest for Tier 1 Supplier status. Only ten years old and employing about 500 people, Rimac has supplied technology to Aston Martin for the Valkyrie, Jaguar for the E-Type Zero, Koenigsegg for the Regera, and Pininfarina for the PF0. Porsche bought a ten-percent stake in Rimac last year, following a 30-million-euro investment from Chinese battery maker Camel Group to take a 19-percent stake. The Eastern European concern remains focused on its own bowtie-inspired hypercars as long as founder Mate Rimac leads, though. As he told Motor Trend in April, "Of course I'm very passionate about helping other manufacturers build their cars. But if the shareholders decide it doesn't make sense to produce our own cars, they we'll have to find another CEO."