2014 Kia Forte Koup Sx on 2040-cars

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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.'

Provo concept name has Kia embroiled in terrorism controversy?

In the relatively lengthy press release that Kia composed for the launch of its Provo concept car at the Geneva Motor Show this week, the company never mentioned where the name came from, or what it means for the car. A very basic web search for "Provo" reveals that the inspiration for the hatch could have been a city in Utah, a township in South Dakota or a village in Bosnia. The name could be a reference to either an American (Fred) or Canadian (Dwayne) football player, and Provo might also accurately reference a "Dutch counterculture movement in the mid-1960s" or a ship in the US Navy. More likely than any of those, however, is that the Kia designers of the concept - a car that was wholly a product of the Korean automaker's design studios in Frankfurt, for the record - meant it as a play on the existing Pro_cee'd hatchback.
What the designers and Kia executives that signed off on the Provo almost certainly did not have in mind was a reference to a street name for the Provisional Irish Republican Army. That "Provo" was, according to TheDetroitBureau.com, an outlawed army faction that was blamed for some 2,000 deaths in Northern Ireland during a period stretching from 1970 to 1997.
And yet, it was that association that led Gregory Campbell, a member of parliament from Northern Ireland, to introduce legislation that would ban Kia from selling a car under the name Provo. Kia, quick to realize the sizable gaffe it has stumbled into with the name, has reportedly already promised not to use the name for a production vehicle.

2021 Kia K5 is a Stinger-inspired midsize sedan

Love the idea of the rear-wheel-drive Kia Stinger but just can't swing the price tag? The 2021 Kia K5 promises to be the next-best thing, while also delivering the practicality and comfort expected of a modern midsize sedan.  "K5" has been the name of the Korean-market Optima since its major redesign in 2010, and with the 2021 model, that name is coming to America. With this re-branding comes a major overhaul to Kia's four-door family car, including available all-wheel drive and a new performance GT model that will likely be met with approval by fans of the Stinger sport sedan.  On the outside, the K5 looks like, well, an Optima. Kia seems content with its current "tiger face" design. The new K5 design has obvious influences from the Stinger, but that car's design wasn't really all that much of a departure from the previous-generation Optima's, so the family resemblance remains strong. As with any major redesign, there's plenty more action underneath the K5's sheet metal. The new sedan will be offered with two turbocharged engines and, for the first time in a front-wheel-drive Kia sedan, an all-wheel-drive option will be offered for those who want a little more all-weather functionality.  The base engine will be a 1.6-liter four-cylinder producing 180 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. On the base-model LX, it will be paired exclusively with an eight-speed automatic transmission (no CVT here, at least not yet) and front-wheel drive. On the LXS and GT Line, all-wheel drive will be available.  For those who want performance, the GT model is your ticket. Powered by the company's new 2.5-liter turbo-4, the GT will boast 290 hp and a class-leading 311 lb-ft of torque paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Kia says this combo will be good for a 0-60 time of 5.8 seconds.  Inside, the K5 gets numerous upgrades over the outgoing Optima. Shown here in GT-Line and GT guise, the interior will be available with perforated leather seating options with contrast stitching for a little added pizzazz. The flat-bottom steering wheel pictured is also exclusive to the GT-Line and GT trims. Other available features include wireless device charging, heated and ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. The base infotainment system will be an 8-inch touchscreen unit with a 10.25-inch upgrade available; both will be powered by the latest revision of Kia's excellent UVO software suite.