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Hyundai and Kia set aside $412 million for false mileage claims

We still don't know how the whole fuel economy ratings debacle is going to play out for Hyundai and Kia, but both automakers are preparing to make good on their promises to reimburse vehicle owners for lower-than-promised mileage figures. According to Automotive News, Hyundai and Kia have set aside a combined total of $412 million ($225 million for Hyundai and $187 million for Kia) as compensation, which will be sent out on a case-by-case basis via debit cards depending on the vehicle and the mileage driven.
Announced back in November, the exaggerated miles per gallon claims affect around 900,000 Kia and Hyundai products produced for the 2011 through 2013 model years sold in the US and Canada. This whole deal has had plenty of action ranging from suspected whistleblowing from a rival US automaker and even insider trading, but it has probably been most frustrating for vehicle owners who, in most cases, saw their vehicles' city and highway ratings drop between one and three digits.

2021 Kia Rio spied with heavy camo, wearing a mid-cycle refresh

The 2020 Kia Rio received an updated engine and transmission for the new year, but it looks like there’s much more on the way for KiaÂ’s subcompact in the near future. We got the all-new Rio in the 2018 model year, but this heavily covered prototype is suggesting significant design changes are on the way. The new design will complement the updated 1.6-liter four-cylinder and CVT (replacing the six-speed auto) the Rio got this year — fuel economy jumps from 32 mpg combined to 36 mpg combined in both the sedan and hatchback as a result of the switch. The 2020 Hyundai Accent received the same changes. One of our spy shooters managed to catch a hatchback driving around. Unlike many mid-cycle refresh camo getups, this one is more than just a thin layer of swirly stickers. Instead, we get the full-on cladding and tenting job. From what we can see of the headlights, they already look like a different design. Squared-off LED DRLs are hiding in there, and the element visible beside the LED is shaped differently than the current headlight unit. The fog light visible below the headlight looks to be in the same spot as before, but itÂ’s impossible to tell the design of the surrounding area. With the amount of camouflage seen here, itÂ’s possible that we see an entirely different front fascia design, and the same goes for around back. Similar to crossovers and SUVs trying to hide their roof and hatch shapes, this one has a big tent over the rear window. We find it highly unlikely that Kia decides to change sheetmetal with this kind of an update, but an entirely new look from the bumper, taillights and garnishing seems possible. The Rio, despite being a solid car in many ways, is a bit boring to look at. Its taillights are barely visible through the black netting, but they look similar to the current carÂ’s lights from what little we can see of them. Most of the car is covered up — even the doors have camouflage on them, though we donÂ’t expect the doors to be going through any revolutionary changes at this point in the carÂ’s life cycle. We dig the wheels on this tester, and the Rio hatchbackÂ’s shape is an appealing one. Sportier styling could help it a bit on the dealer lot, but with the new Soul already out and the Seltos hot on its heels, the Rio is facing a lot of pressure from other Kias. We hope the little subcompact doesnÂ’t go away as other tiny cars have, as our last stint in the driverÂ’s seat was surprisingly charming for such a cheap car.

Kia's quickest cruiser | 2018 Kia Stinger GT First Drive

The 2018 Kia Stinger is a provocatively named, turbocharged fastback sedan that arrives in America in a few months, and we've just been given a great snapshot of what to expect at Germany's notorious Nurburgring circuit. While the very final tuning is under way, the late-stage prototypes we drove are "99 percent there," says Albert Biermann, former BMW M chief engineer, now head of engineering for the Hyundai Group. Despite our first experience with the Stinger being at a famously technical track, Biermann and others stressed that the Stinger is very much a grand tourer. To be clear, just about no one will track the Stinger. So why then do we find ourselves in the Eifel region of Western Germany? Because Korea's new sports sedan signals a dramatic brand shift for Kia, and the Stinger GT is the first to reflect a new, more performance-oriented direction. Kia at the Nurburgring? If you want to make a point, this is one way to do it. Arriving this fall, the Stinger will have three powertrain options on offer globally, but only two gas-fueled turbocharged engines for North America. The entry-level Stinger 2.0T is rated at 255 hp and 260 lb-ft, but our impressions are based on the GT, motivated by Kia's brawnier 3.3-liter twin-turbo, good for 365 hp and 376 lb-ft. Peak power arrives at 6,000 rpm, and peak torque between 1,300 and 4,500 rpm. All engines — including the not-for-America 2.2-liter diesel — are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with shift paddles. Both rear-wheel drive and AWD configurations will be available. While the automaker has made some sporty-looking, attractive sedans such as the Optima Turbo, and Cadenza, it wants to "make them drive like they look," says Biermann. Throw the 'Ring's 73 corners, 17 percent incline, and 11 percent decline — all at speed — and you'll learn quite a bit about Kia's newest, very quickly. So how does the Stinger drive? If this was an exercise to understand the touring aspects of the car, it was lost on us. Lap one of our lead-follow drive on the 'Ring wasted no time in demonstrating this new, more dynamic direction. The pace car in front smashed the throttle and entered the 'Ring at speed, banking hard-left on the first turn. I followed suit, mashing the gas, flying into the first turn, tires screeching, the rear sliding out just a bit despite the GT's AWD. Immediately I'm surprised by the acceleration.