2013 Kia Optima Lx on 2040-cars

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Kia Venga puts a fresh face on mini minivans

Minivans in America have grown to become anything but mini. That's not the case overseas, however, where Ford offers the B-Max, Citroen the C3 Picasso and Kia the Venga. On the European market now since 2009, the Venga shares its underpinnings with the Soul and with the Hyundai i20. The shape which Peter Schreyer sketched for it won a prestigious iF Design Award upon its debut, but five years later, it was time for a bit of a refresh. Debuting alongside the updated Rio at the Paris Motor Show, the new Venga has received some updated sheetmetal, an upgraded cabin and enhanced equipment – all the better for transporting a (small) family around some European metropolis, where the streets are narrow and the parking even tighter.

Kia Soul now has more turbo and 201 hp

Back in May, Kia revealed in a new hamster commercial that we would be seeing a turbocharged version of the Soul sometime this winter. After months of waiting, we finally get our first look at the Soul Turbo in the form of the European-market Soul SX. Obviously, the most important part of the newly-boosted Soul lies under the hood. There you will find the familiar turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder from the Veloster Turbo and the Elantra Sport. Unsurprisingly, it makes the same 201 horsepower as its corporate cousins. But that's still a healthy 37-horsepower improvement over the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter. The engine is bolted up to a new 7-speed dual clutch transmission. Kia didn't say anything about a manual option, but we certainly hope they'll offer one. The company claims the Soul SX has a 0-62 mph time of 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 124 mph. Aside from the engine, there are subtle exterior and interior tweaks that distinguish this quicker Soul. The front bumper gets a larger, more aggressive grille, and the side sills are slightly wider. The car also receives exclusive 10-spoke, 18-inch wheels, red accents and Soul badge, and a twin-tip exhaust. Inside, the Soul SX has a black cloth and leather interior featuring orange stitching and the obligatory flat-bottomed steering wheel. Kia also revealed that the Soul SX is now available for ordering. However, this is just the European model. We still have yet to see the final US-spec version, but we'll probably see it very soon. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Kia Soul SX: Paris 2016 View 12 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Paris Motor Show Kia Crossover Hatchback Performance 2016 paris motor show kia soul turbo

2020 Kia Telluride Second Drive | Won over

When I first saw the 2020 Kia Telluride at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show press days, I was super impressed. It looked great on the show floor, the interior was roomy, materials were high-quality and details well attended to. I couldn't wait to show my wife, Cat, who has been looking to move from a Mercedes-Benz GLK into something a bit bigger. The Tellurides were less accessible when Cat and I took our son, Wollie, to the public show, so I couldn't fully show off this new ute I thought was so cool. "Eh, it's a Kia," Cat said, despite my many previous attempts to convince her that the notion of crummy, boring, cheap Kias is a thing of the past. Anyway, I'd have to wait to get a Telluride from the press fleet to convince her further and to see if I even liked it as much on the road as I did seeing it on the show floor. The day I brought it home, my 3-year-old son called — as he often does — around lunchtime to ask what car I'd be driving. When I said "Kia Telluride," he got excited. He's been a huge fan of our long-term Stinger (as well as an Optima we once rented in Arizona), so the Kia brand name impressed him. My wife, who was also on the line, had no reaction. Driving it home, I fell in love with the Telluride, just as I expected I would. Our top-of-the-line SX-trim tester was nice, loaded with content, trimmed with what looked and felt to be high-quality materials. It took close inspection to see that the headliner isn't a soft microfiber, and that the wood trim is actually plastic. The Nappa leather upholstery is rich, and the seats supportive. The huge dual sunroof and gigantic windows give the cabin an open, airy feeling. I would be pushing for a Telluride as a future addition to Autoblog's long-term garage, as I could see myself enjoying this car for many a mile, with the space to serve many purposes. When I got home, Wollie was eager to check the Telluride out. He climbed all through it, and marveled at the sheer amount of space it affords. He had the room to navigate freely from seat to seat and row to row. As a full-grown adult, I also found it fairly easy to navigate between the captains' chairs and get comfortable in the third row. I wouldn't recommend putting three adults in the back, but I'd be happy back there for shorter rides, or perfectly relaxed in the second row on long hauls. The Snyder boys were sold. Cat came out to see it, and still wasn't impressed.