2013 Kia Rio Ex Hatchback 4-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

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Redesigned Kia Sorento lineup to include hybrid, plug-in models

The next generation of Kia's mid-size crossover will be electrified, a company executive confirmed Friday. The redesigned Kia Sorento, due in 2020 as a 2021 model, will be offered in both hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. Kia's European COO, Emilio Herrera, confirmed the new green models in an interview with Automotive News Europe. They will join the Niro (which is offered both as a PHEV and a pure EV) and the delayed 2021 Soul EV in Kia's stable of electrified crossovers.  Details are still slim, and while the U.S. is the largest potential market for the Sorento, American buyers have been hesitant to jump on larger hybrid models. At this point, it's not clear whether the two hybrid models will be included in the variants available with the new Sorento launches, or whether they will be added to the lineup later in the crossover's product cycle.  Autoblog has reached out to Kia for clarification on timing and availability and we will update this story if we learn any pertinent information.  We do know that the new Sorento is due in 2020, and will share its fundamental architecture with sister brand Hyundai's new Santa Fe. Hyundai has not announced formal plans to offer hybrid variants of the Santa Fe here in the states, but electrified powertrains were hinted at for Europe when the crossover was originally unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show back in 2018.  Like Hyundai, Kia has been working hard to overhaul its crossover and SUV lineup here in the United States, where customers are migrating to taller vehicles in droves. The introduction of the larger Telluride has made some room for the stretched Sorento to shrink back into its primary role as a two-row mid-sizer. Related Video    

Kia using quality and technology to increase sales and brand prestige

Kia is a long way from hawking the anonymous lozenge known as the Sephia on our shores. That was only 1994, though, and in less than 20 years the company has gone from judging its aspirations against Japanese budget competition to walking auto show floors checking out the German standard-bearers for tips on how to increase sales and brand prestige. In an interview with Automotive News, Kia executives laid out their plan for carving out a Volkswagen-like niche for the company whereby they could be viewed as the premium pick in a volume segment. Concepts like the Kia Cub, above, would seem to point in this direction.
Kia is keen to make sure its sales targets don't impinge on its quest for better and better quality.
Kia's prime directive is "an unrelenting focus on quality." The Japanese brands earned a reputation for bulletproof reliability, and Kia is keen to make sure its sales targets don't impinge on its quest for better and better quality - neither in-house nor for its suppliers, a trade-off we've seen go wrong before. It has a Pilot Center that studies each new model for potential production problems before being given the approval for manufacture, and it isn't until the quality control department gives the okay that manufacture can begin.

Recharge Wrap-up: unofficial Tesla ad, VW will produce Budd-e

An unofficial Tesla commercial pays homage to the automaker's namesake. The video, which shows the Model S driving through a dusty, petroleum-addicted landscape reminiscent of a Mad Max film, features words from a speech by electricity-obsessed inventor Nikola Tesla. While Tesla (the man) talks about advancing technology into the future through electricity, the cars surroundings switch from the barren oil village to a green countryside dotted with wind turbines. See the video above, and read more at Treehugger. Famous rapper Akon is a Tesla fan who wants to power Africa with solar energy. Akon, who once boasted a collection of 28 exotic cars, traded them in for four Teslas, including a Model X. Also, his organization Akon Lighting Africa provides free solar electricity and lighting to communities that need it. Clean Technica talked to Akon about solar power, Tesla and EVs in a video. See the video and read more at Clean Technica, and get more perspective from Teslarati. The Volkswagen BUDD-e EV may be moving to production. The electric vehicle, built on the MEB modular platform with looks borrowed from the Microbus, made its debut as a concept vehicle at CES this year. Volkwagen's Dr. Volkmar Tanneberger tells Car magazine, "You will see a car that looks a lot like this, on the MEB platform, reach production. I can't say exactly when, but 2020 or thereabouts." He also says that the California camper van and Transporter van will continue production with internal combustion engines. Read more from Car. The 2017 Kia Soul EV will have more range. While it is scheduled for some minor updates, upping the electric Soul's driving range from its current EPA rating of 93 miles will hopefully attract more customers than a simple facelift. Autocar spied the next Soul EV testing in some heavy camouflage, but it offered no other details about the range beyond its reported expansion. Read more from Plugin Cars.