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Kia Sportage MSRP up by almost 14 percent for 2014, starting at $21,600*

When Kia introduced the updated 2014 Sportage back in September, one of the biggest things that stood out to us was that the base model was dropped. Not only did this mean the Sportage would no longer be offered with a manual gearbox, but we also expected a price increase to follow. We were right.
The entry-level trim for the 2014 Sportage is now the LX, which starts at $21,600 (not including $850 for destination). This is only a $400 increase over the 2013 Sportage LX, but it represents a $2,600 jump (13.6 percent) in the Sportage's starting price point. At this new price, the Sportage is now priced higher than the Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and lower than many other compact crossovers like the Ford Escape, Chevy Equinox, Nissan Rogue, Jeep Cherokee and Toyota RAV4. Pricing for the 2014 Sportage EX has increased by $800, starting at $25,000, while the sportier, turbocharged Sportage SX holds steady at $26,900.
In addition to other minor changes like slightly refreshed exterior styling, a sportier suspension setup for the LX trim level and more available cabin tech, the other key update made to the 2014 Sportage is the addition of direct injection to the base 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. This brings a slight bump in power output (from 176 horsepower and 168 pound-feet of torque in 2013 to 182 hp and 178 lb-ft for 2014), but, for some reason unknown to us, it dings fuel economy. With ratings of 21 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, the front-wheel-drive Sportage loses 2 mpg for the highway rating compared to 2013, while the all-wheel-drive model's 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway is a drop of 1 mpg for both figures.

Kia HabaNiro concept is an AWD electric wonder car for everyone

Kia filled its press release for the HabaNiro concept with so much bombast hoisted aloft by adjectives and acronyms that we don't know what to make of the actual concept. Conceived and designed at the Kia Design Center America (KDCA) in California, the HabaNiro's labeled "a whole new category of mobility – 'The Everything Car' or ECEV." The "fully-electric, all-wheel drive, four-seat wonder car" goes more than 300 miles between charges, has butterfly wing doors and Level 5 autonomy. On the other hand, considering this is a concept, the boasts and technology could be considered humble. The idea is that the compact four-door crossover is ready and intended to go anywhere, from urban errands to winding roads to "off-roading with confidence to remote wilderness adventures." The concept is 1.5 inches shorter than the production Kia Niro, six inches wider, three inches taller, on a wheelbase that's 5.2 inches longer. The butch exterior belies the close dimensional relationship, the HabaNiro clad in Snowdrift Pearl White paint set off by Satin Metallic Granite Grey cladding in front and an anodized Lava Red aero panel in back. The 20-inch wheels wear 265/50 tires, rubber just a fraction shorter than the BFG All-Terrains on the Mercedes-Benz Concept GLB. A satin aluminum skidplate, billet aluminum tow hooks, anodized Lava Red aluminum accents, and LED DRLs that pulse like a heartbeat ensure no one underestimates the conceptual attitude. The undisclosed battery powers two electric motors, one on each axle for e-AWD. Opening the butterfly doors uncovers a Lava Red interior. Unlike the electric Kia concept in Geneva reveling in its bouquet of screens, the HabaNiro cabin omits rectangular screens, knobs, and buttons. A full-width heads-up display on the windshield provides all the necessary info, projected from an instrument panel that doubles as a touchpad with "Sensory Light Feedback." That, along with the ability to project movies on the screen, sounds great during Level 5 operation. But when a human needs to drive... well, we need to see it in action. You can also sign us up for demos of the "Perimeter Ventilation System," which "quietly and evenly blows curtain of air throughout the cabin" and sounds like what you get on a Greyhound. And the patterned floor is lit with changeable mood lighting that "reflects onto surfaces within the cabin," which sounds like what you get in the club.

EPA says it will more closely monitor fuel economy claims from automakers

The unintended acceleration brouhaha at Toyota led to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration tightening the vise on recall procedures. Likewise, the fuel economy kerfuffle that blew up with Hyundai and Kia's admission of overstated fuel mileage claims could lead to the Environmental Protection Agency policing automaker assertions by performing more audits.
At least, that's what a senior engineer with the government agency said while in Michigan giving a talk, according to a report in Automotive News. What that actually means, however, is still in question. Just ten to 15 percent of new vehicles - something like 150 to 200 cars per year - are rested by the EPA to verify automaker numbers. The EPA's own tests include a "fudge factor" to adjust lab mileage for real-world mileage, and the agency still relies on automakers to submit data for tests that it doesn't have the facilities to perform. How much more auditing can the EPA really expect to do, or perhaps a more relevant question would be how much more accurate could the EPA's audits become?
The price of gasoline, the psychological importance of 40 miles per gallon to a frugal car buyer, an automaker wanting to further justify the price premium of a hybrid, all of these things contribute to fuel economy numbers that insist on creeping upward. Perhaps the senior engineer encapsulated the whole situation best when he said, "Everybody wants a label that tells you exactly what you're going to get, but obviously that's not possible. A good general rule of thumb is that real-world fuel economy is about 20 percent lower than the lab numbers." If the lesson isn't exactly 'buyer beware,' it's at least 'buyer be wary.'