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Kia design boss hints at an electric version of the Stinger

We return to the much-scrutinized Kia Stinger, the critically acclaimed but slow-selling performance sedan whose future is the subject of intense speculation. Thanks to an interview in Top Gear with the head of Kia design, Karim Habib, we now have not only official confirmation that the four-door fastback is getting a mid-cycle refresh, but also some hints about how the model might stick around by evolving. In the interview, Habib said he hopes that the “spirit of the Stinger” remains as the Kia brand evolves. “As the technology goes toward EVs and as the world and its appetite for these types of cars changes, the concept probably has to evolve as well,” he said. Is that a hint that the Stinger might eventually go electric? LetÂ’s explore. Kia has already announced its intentions to launch 11 new electric vehicles globally by 2025, including some with an 800-volt charging system for high-speed charging. TheyÂ’re doing so on a platform that will be purpose-built for EVs in partnership with Hyundai that can support larger and more powerful electric vehicles than either the Soul EV or Niro EV, KiaÂ’s two existing battery-electric offerings. Presumably that opens the door to build an electric Stinger or similar four-door sedan — Habib talked about the need to keep the “sporty, affordable, beautiful sculpture” around, if not necessarily the nameplate itself. But electrifying the Stinger would in all likelihood easily eclipse the 255-horsepower from the base 2.0-liter turbo-four and at least match the 365 hp offered by the twin-turbo V6. It would also undoubtedly represent a huge upgrade in fuel economy, which tops out at 25 mpg combined and is one of the StingerÂ’s few weak points. Kia is also working on battery technology that promises up to 310 miles of driving range. For now, anyway, we know from spy shots that Kia is preparing to give the Stinger interior and exterior styling updates and, reportedly, slight power boosts by tweaking the existing 2.0-liter and 3.3-liter mills. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

Kia and Amazon team up to sell at-home electric charging stations

Amazon really wants to be the one-and-only destination you go to for online shopping, and it's edging a little further into the car world with its latest partnership. Kia is teaming with the online retail giant to sell and install Level 2 chargers for your home. To buy the chargers on offer, you'll need to own/lease an electric or plug-in Kia, or at least have one on order. That includes the Niro EV, Soul EV, Niro PHEV and Optima PHEV. Amazon has previously partnered with Audi to offer installation services is preparation for the E-Tron rollout, but this version of the program is framed differently and meant for Kia owners. This is being done in an attempt to make buying and installing these kind of chargers easier. Most folks know and understand Amazon, so buying everything you might need to get an electric car charger up and running from them could be a comforting process. The benefit to this way of acquiring a 240-volt charger is that Amazon sets up the whole installation process. It'll call out an electrician to inspect your house to see if any changes need to be made to support it, then install the charger. A choice of three Level 2 car chargers are being sold through this partnership. The brands include Bosch, ChargePoint and JuiceBox, ranging from most to least expensive respectively. Access to a Level 2 electric car charger will make your life with an electric car all the better. The 2020 Soul EV (shown below) and 2019 Niro EV both get to a full charge in a little more than nine hours on a Level 2 plug versus a long 59-hour wait from a Level 1 charger. You can get by with Level 1 sometimes, but getting home on a depleted battery late at night then leaving early in the morning doesn't work. In these situations, juice at a faster rate is deeply needed. The chargers are available for purchase now. 2020 Kia Soul EV View 11 Photos

Hyundai, Kia, Genesis and Subaru clean up in IIHS 2018 safety ratings

Hyundai, its partner Kia and its Genesis division are the big winners in the latest vehicle safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, accounting for six of the 15 models that earned the Top Safety Pick+ awards for 2018. Subaru was right behind with four, Mercedes-Benz had two, and Toyota, BMW and Ford each had one. Another 47 vehicles earned the Top Safety Pick designation, where Toyota had 10 vehicle models, with Hyundai recognized for nine models. All but one of the seven vehicles in Subaru's lineup, the BRZ, qualified for one of the awards. IIHS strengthened the criteria for the Top Safety Pick+ award for 2018 to require headlights to earn a "good" rating — an "acceptable" rating was previously enough to notch the "plus" award — and good or acceptable passenger-side protection in the small overlap front crash, which replicates a crash involving just the front corner of a vehicle. It also required vehicles to have acceptable or good headlights for the first time to earn a Top Safety Pick award. Most of winners for both awards qualified on the basis of optional upgrades. IIHS in October began evaluating the passenger side of vehicles in its small overlap front crash test after it said it became clear that automakers were neglecting that side of the vehicle as they focused on improving driver-side protections. IIHS first began conducting driver-side small overlap crashes in 2012. It began measuring both how well low and high beams illuminated the road and the amount of glare they produce for oncoming vehicles as part of its ratings in 2016. The Top Safety Pick+ winners are listed below. The list doesn't include any minivans, pickups or minicars, which don't appear on either list of awardees. Small cars Kia Forte Kia Soul Subaru Impreza (sedan and wagon) Subaru WRX Midsize cars Subaru Legacy Subaru Outback Toyota Camry Large luxury cars BMW 5 series Genesis G80 Genesis G90 Lincoln Continental Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan Midsize SUVs Hyundai Santa Fe Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Midsize luxury SUV Mercedes-Benz GLC The full list of Top Safety Pick winners is available here.Related Video: Image Credit: IIHS BMW Genesis Hyundai Kia Lincoln Subaru Toyota Safety Crossover SUV Wagon Sedan crash test