2012 Lx Used 2.4l I4 16v Automatic Fwd Sedan on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Kia Stinger will be getting more power for 2021

The 2021 Kia Stinger will get more oomph when it arrives later this year, but a new report says the tweaks will come from modifications to its existing powertrain, not a new option atop the range. The report from Australian site CarSales, which cites anonymous sources close to the automaker, appears to throw cold water on rumors that the Stinger would get the 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 from the new Genesis G80 sedan, which delivers 380 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque. The report says that the G80's 304-hp 2.5-liter turbo-four will not be coming to Australia as a replacement for the Stinger’s base 255-hp 2.0-liter turbo-four, and we would doubt it would for the United States, either.  In its range-topping models, the Stinger's 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 offers 365 hp and 376 lb-ft. CarSales reports that engine will be juiced for more power by tweaking its bimodal exhaust. Unspecified design and equipment changes are also reportedly due. Now in its third year on the market, the Stinger turned a lot of heads when it debuted in 2017 at the Detroit auto show, and a long-term test version of the 2018 Stinger GT impressed Autoblog editors. It has failed to catch fire with buyers, but a performance-oriented premium sedan/hatchback made by Kia was always going to be a sales success long shot.  During the first three months of 2020, Kia sold 2,560 Stingers in the United States, down nearly 21%. Sales in 2019, when there was no global pandemic to skew numbers, totaled 13,861, down 17.5%. Kia discontinued the Premium trim packages for 2020. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Kia negotiating to build $1.5B auto plant in Mexico

After a string of recent announcements from automakers, Kia may be the next business to break ground on a factory south of the border. The Korean company is reportedly nearly finished with negotiations to build a $1.5-billion plant near the city of Monterrey in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. The state's secretary of economic development confirmed the news to Reuters and anticipated talks to be completed in the first two weeks of August. Unnamed insiders also said that the location was aiming for an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles.
Rumors from a month ago first suggested the possibility of the new factory. It would reportedly build two models of small cars, and assembly could potentially begin as soon as 21 months after breaking ground. Currently, Kia only has one North American plant, in Georgia, that builds the Sorento and Optima.
In the last few years, Mexico has become of hotbed of North American automobile production. Mazda, Honda and Volkswagen all recently opened new or expanded factories to build cars there. There are even more on the way with a joint venture plant from Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti and BMW's announcement of its own $1 billion undertaking in Mexico.

Next-generation Kia Optima spied for the first time

On the heels of the completely redesigned Hyundai Sonata, one of our spy photographers has finally caught the next-generation 2021 Kia Optima out testing. It makes sense the family sedan would appear soon, since it will undoubtedly be based on the Sonata just like past Optimas. Unlike the Sonata, though, the new Optima looks like a very evolutionary design. The headlights are still wide and low in the nose. The "tiger nose" grille sits between the lights. It looks as though the grille may be a bit thinner than on the current model. The overall profile is still similar to the current model and the Kia Stinger, and it appears Kia will continue to have some interesting lines connecting the rear pillars and the roof. Among the subtle differences are a revised greenhouse. The pieces of glass just ahead of the C-pillars follow the curve of the roof more than the somewhat upright pieces on the current car. The rear taillights, though still thin and wide, now appear to protrude from the rear. This particular version also appears to have fake tail pipes. Though this is the first time we've seen the Optima, and it's still well-camouflaged, we expect to see the car revealed sometime next year. The reason is that the Sonata it's based on is nearly on sale, so a lot of the Optima's development is probably finished. It will likely share the Sonata's powertrains, which for now include a 191-horsepower naturally aspirated 2.5-liter 4-cylinder and a 180-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder. Each of these is mated to an eight-speed automatic. A more powerful turbo four-cylinder should be available in the near future.