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Kia Soul getting turbocharged variant, say hamsters

Last week, we reported on the return of Kia's Soul-promoting hamster mascots. They took on "Dueling Banjos," and it was adorable and entertaining and everything we expect from our favorite spokesrodents. But that same spot also hinted at something strange on the end slide – a Soul Turbo, coming this winter. One Autoblog staffer said I must have been so overcome by the return of my favorite spokeshamsters that I missed the end slide the first time around, and that might be true. Instead of debating that, let's focus on just what Kia revealed here. The company has long hinted that a higher-performance Soul was in the works, embodied by the Track'ster and Trail'ster concepts from 2012 and 2015. Both cars used a version of Hyundai/Kia's 1.6-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder, tuned to 250 hp in the Track'ster and 185 hp in the Trail'ster, which had the added bonus of a hybrid assist. Both added all-wheel-drive systems to the front-drive Soul package. A production Soul Turbo will likely fall between the hot-hatchback-like Track'ster and the off-road-focused Trail'ster. Expect Kia to pluck the corporate 1.6-liter turbo four for duty, with anywhere from 175 to 201 hp – we can hope for more, but that power spread covers Hyundai/Kia's current production trims for this engine. All-wheel drive seems like a given, based on Hyundai's approach to the Tucson, Kia's past few concepts, and the Soul's positioning as a sub-compact CUV. We've reached out to Kia for confirmation that the Soul Turbo is coming. As soon as we hear back, we'll update this post. And if you need a refresher on the video, we've embedded it below. The text in question pops up at 1:46. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2021 Kia Seltos fuel economy revealed at up to 31 mpg combined

The 2021 Kia Seltos made its official debut in the U.S. just a couple months ago at the L.A. Auto Show. Now its fuel economy numbers have been published by the EPA. The compact crossover's numbers are roughly on par with its smaller Soul sibling and significantly better than the larger Sportage. The Seltos is available with two different engines, a 146-horsepower naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder coupled to a CVT, and a 175-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder with a dual-clutch transmission. The former is available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, while the latter only comes with all-wheel drive. Unsurprisingly, the most efficient model is the front-drive 2.0-liter with city fuel economy of 29 mpg, highway economy of 34, and 31 combined. Adding all-wheel drive drops those numbers to 27 in town, 31 on the highway, and 29 combined. The turbo Seltos brings up the rear with 25 mpg in the city, 30 on the highway and 27 combined. Compared with its smaller sibling, the Soul, the Seltos performs impressively, with the front-drive model matching the Soul Eco Dynamics combined fuel economy of 31 mpg. On the other hand, the turbo Soul's 29 mpg combined rating is better than the turbo Seltos. The turbo Seltos does have all-wheel drive, which the turbo Soul lacks. In fact, no Soul is available with all-wheel drive, a worthy selling point for the Seltos. When comparing the Seltos numbers to the bigger Sportage, which also offers all-wheel drive, every version of the Seltos outperforms the best Sportage's combined fuel economy number of 26 mpg. Comparing the Seltos with other small crossovers, it fares well. Looking at front-drive competitors, only the much more expensive Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid and the smaller, cheaper Nissan Kicks and Hyundai Venue top the Seltos in fuel economy. The Buick Encore ties it. With all-wheel drive, the Seltos is also competitive. The non-hybrid Subaru Crosstrek's 30 mpg combined beats the Seltos by just one, and the Honda HR-V is tied with the Kia. The 2020 Kia Seltos will go on sale early this year. The base price will be below $22,000. Related Video:

Center for Auto Safety wants Hyundai and Kia to recall 2.9M vehicles

DETROIT — A nonprofit auto safety group is demanding that Hyundai and Kia recall 2.9 million cars and SUVs in the U.S. due to consumer complaints that they can catch fire. The Center For Auto Safety said Friday that there have been more than 220 complaints to the U.S. government since 2010 about fires and another 200 complaints about melted wires as well as smoke and burning odors. The complaints involve the 2011 through 2014 Kia Sorento and Optima and the Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe. Also included is the 2010 through 2015 Kia Soul. The fires are being investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as part of a 2017 probe into Hyundai and Kia engine failures. "The volume of fires here make it appear that Hyundai and Kia are content to sit back and allow consumers and insurers to bear the brunt of poorly designed, manufactured and repaired vehicles," Jason Levine, the center's executive director, said. The fire reports have come in from across the country, including a death in Ohio in April 2017, he said. Hyundai says it monitors safety concerns and acts quickly to recall defective vehicles. "We have a robust system in place for monitoring and investigating reported vehicle fires that includes investigation and reporting to NHTSA as required. Vehicle fires can result from a variety of reasons," the company statement said. Kia said it is using company and third-party fire investigators to determine what caused the fires so it can address them. "A vehicle fire may be the result of any number of complex factors, such as a manufacturing issue, inadequate maintenance, the installation of aftermarket parts, an improper repair, arson, or some other non-vehicle source, and must be carefully evaluated by a qualified and trained investigator or technician," the company said in a statement. The Center for Auto Safety filed a petition asking NHTSA to investigate the fires in June. The agency said Friday that it is still evaluating the petition and it has sent information requests to Hyundai, Kia and other automakers about the issue. Levine says the center does not know what's causing the fires. In May 2017 the government began investigating whether the automakers moved quickly enough to recall over 1.6 million vehicles because of engines stalling. NHTSA is looking into three recalls by the related Korean brands, and it's also investigating whether the automakers followed safety reporting requirements.