2022 Kia Forte Gt on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Is your new-car warranty good at the race track?

We've all heard the horror stories. Your buddy knows a girl that was dating a guy whose best friend's brother once broke his brand-new, recently purchased performance car while making runs at a drag strip or laps at a track day, and the manufacturer wouldn't cover the repair under warranty. True story? Urban legend? Complete crap? Yes, no, maybe. One thing's for sure: Automotive warranties have always come with caveats. In 1908, an ad in the Trenton Evening Times clearly stated: "All Ford Cars Guaranteed for One Year." Although it changed over time, by 1925 the Ford New Car Guarantee only covered 90 days on material and 30 days on labor, and it clearly stated that that there was "No guarantee whatever on Fan Belts, Glass, Bulbs, Wiring, Transmission, Bands, Hose Connections, Commutator Shells, Rollers, Spark Plugs or Gaskets." Whether or not Ol' Henry would pay to fix your Model T if you broke it shaving a tenth off your lap time at the local board track seems to be lost to history. We're guessing no. But what about today? Do new-car warranties in 2017 cover cars when they are driven on race tracks? We researched the warranties of 14 auto brands to find out, and the answer is yes, no, maybe, depending on the brand, in some cases the model, and whether or not your car is modified from stock. Acura has been out of the high-performance car game for a number of years, but jumps back into the party in 2017 with its hybrid-powered $173,000 NSX supercar. And Acura's warranty, as well as Honda's, clearly states that it does not cover "the use of the vehicle in competition or racing events." View 33 Photos So we asked Sage Marie, Senior Manager of Public Relations for Honda and Acura. "If the car is stock, the warranty covers it on a track just as it does on the street. No question," he told us. "However, if the car is modified, say with slick tires or other components that would put higher stresses on the vehicle's parts and systems, then we would have to investigate the circumstances further." Marie went on to say the same would be true for any Acura model or Honda vehicle, including the new 2017 Honda Civic Si. This became a common theme. Chevrolet actually started this practice with the fifth-generation Camaro on the high-performance ZL1 and Z/28 models.

Kia EV9 wins 2024 World Car of the Year and World Electric Car at New York Auto Show

The Hyundai Group refuses to release its kung-fu grip on winning prestigious vehicle awards, especially those for electric vehicles. In 2020, Kia took the overall World Car of the Year (WCOTY) title with the Telluride, won World Performance Car with the EV6 GT, and won the World Urban Car category with the Kia Soul EV. In 2021, after the Hyundai Group walked away with nothing but a free lunch, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 won the 2022 World Car of the Year laurels, plus World Electric Vehicle and World Car Design of the Year, followed in 2023 by the Hyundai Ioniq 6 winning the same three awards. Kia returns to the top step today, the new EV9 announced at the New York Auto Show as the 2024 World Car of the Year and World Electric Vehicle. Because the South Koreans like to do this in threes, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N won World Performance Car.  One hundred automotive scribes from 29 countries tested 38 vehicles for the main prize. The qualifications for entry are that a car must exceed 10,000 units in production annually, be on sale in at least two major global markets, and be priced below the luxury options in their respective regions. The EV9 beat the BYD Seal and the Volvo EX30 to the WCOTY title. Thirty-two cars vied for honors in the electric category, the EV9 outdoing the BMW i5 and the Volvo EX30. The German and the Swede aren't leaving New York with nothing, however, as the BMW 5 Series and i5 won the World Luxury Car title, and the EX30 won the World Urban Car trophy.  The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N outdid 16 other performance cars. We're sure there are engineers in Germany looking hard into their beer right now, the Ioniq 5 N pipping the M2 and XM to the victory circle.  The surprise of the bunch is the inclusion of the Toyota Prius, the global hybrid icon thrashing 70 other entries to win the 2024 World Car Design of the Year award. The other two finalists? The Ford Bronco and the Ferrari Purosangue. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the Prius. 

2020 Kia Niro electric car gets a $590 price hike

Kia Niro EV shoppers will need to budget a little more for the purchase, the South Korean automaker raising the price on its only U.S.-market electric car by $590. Cars Direct spied an order guide saying that after a $1,120 destination charge, the base Niro EX electric will climb from $39,620 to $40,210. The only other trim, the EX Premium, goes for $45,120 for the 2019 model to $45,710. The prices don't include the potential $7,500 federal tax credit or other incentives the hatchback still qualifies for. Adjustments to the EV MSRPs compare to price increases of $990 and $1,190 for the two trims of the 2020 Niro PHEV, and a mix of price drops and increases of several hundred dollars for the standard Niro's rearranged trim line.     Around this time last year, the Niro EV cost $1,500 more than the Hyundai Kona EV, now the Kia and Hyundai are separated by $1,900. The Niro EV's 64-kWh battery can power its 201-horsepower motor up to 239 miles of EPA-rated range, the Kona EV, with the same mechanical specs, is EPA-rated for up to 258 miles. Kia didn't make any changes to the 2020 Niro EV other than price. The whole Niro lineup, however, debuted its new refresh at last year's L.A. Auto Show. That brought tweaks to the front fascia such as new headlights and fog lights and a grille with diamond-shaped inserts, the electric Niro distinguished from the other two powertrains by getting a single chevron fog light instead of dual chevron lights, omitting the chrome underlining on the grille, and picking up blue accents around the lower intake. In back, there's a redesigned housing for reflector units in the bumper, and more blue highlights. Inside, a redesigned, seven-inch digital instrument cluster sits behind the steering wheel, and new optional driving aids include lane following and lane-keeping assist. Meanwhile, the wait continues for the Kia EV we really want, the fun and less expensive battery-electric Soul and its 243-mile EPA-rated range.  Related Video: