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The Kia Niro gets a plug-in model at Geneva

The Geneva Motor Show is usually a supercar event, but that didn't stop Kia from showing off the Niro hybrid. A new battery and some minor styling tweaks distinguish this Niro from the current model. The important part here is in the back of the little crossover. The standard Niro's 1.56-kilowatt-hour battery is replaced with a much higher capacity 8.9-kWh battery. When we test drove the standard Niro, Kia's representatives told us this battery should propel the Niro PHEV about 25 miles on a charge. For the European release, the range is listed as 55 km, which converts to 34 miles. However, this is likely a quirk of European fuel economy testing, which often yields higher numbers than American testing. Regardless, the Niro will have an electric range in the same ballpark as the Prius Prime plug-in hybrid. The new battery, besides offering more range, is also physically larger. It's placed under the cargo floor and rear seat, and the larger size means the cargo area shrinks by a little over 3.5 cubic feet. However, Kia says that the rest of the interior is unaffected. And an unusual note, Kia will offer a towing package that will allow the Niro PHEV to pull a trailer with brakes weighing up to roughly 2,900 pounds, although it's unclear if this is a European-only option. The Niro PHEV has a few minor styling tweaks as well. The chrome trim on the front and rear bumpers now has slim light-blue lines along the edges. The black rub strip along the doors on the normal model is now a metallic finish on the plug-in. The headlights are changed, too. Square-shaped projectors take the place of the round units on the standard model. The Niro plug-in will go on sale in Europe in the third quarter of 2017. We were told by Kia representatives on the standard car's press drive that it would arrive here by the end of the year. Related Video:

Kia recalls 507,000 vehicles in U.S. for airbag issues

WASHINGTON — Kia Motors Corp said on Friday it was recalling more than 507,000 vehicles in the United States because an electronic glitch may prevent airbags from deploying in a crash. The recall follows an announcement in March by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it was investigating why some airbags had failed to deploy in Kia vehicles and its affiliate Hyundai after crashes in which four people were killed and another six were injured. The two Korean automakers have now recalled nearly 1.1 million U.S. vehicles to address the issue. NHTSA said in March that it was aware of six serious crashes in which airbags failed to deploy in frontal crashes, including four in 2011 model Hyundai Sonatas and two in 2012 and 2013 Kia Forte vehicles. The crash of the 2013 Forte occurred in Canada. Kia's recall issued on Friday covers 2010-2013 Kia Fortes, 2011-2013 Kia Optimas and 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and Sedona vehicles. The company said the airbag control unit may short circuit because they may be susceptible to electrical overstress, preventing the frontal airbags and seat belt pretensioners, which pull the driver and front seat passenger firmly back into their seats, from deploying. The company said it does not yet have a fix, but is working with its supplier on the issue. Kia spokesman James Bell said the company "is attempting to have a remedy by the scheduled owner notification date of July 27. If Kia does not have a remedy by that date or if any customer feels unsafe in his/her vehicle, we will provide a rental car until the repair has been completed." Hyundai in February issued a recall for 154,000 U.S. Sonatas after non-deployment reports were linked to electrical overstress in the air bag control unit. In April, Hyundai recalled an additional 425,000 U.S. vehicles to address the same issue. Hyundai said in March that it was aware of reports of two deaths in its vehicles, which occurred in head-on collisions at extremely high rates of speed. NHTSA said the airbag control module under investigation was built by ZF Friedrichshafen AG, a German auto supplier. ZF said on Friday that it has worked with Kia and "continues to cooperate and support NHTSA and its customers in the investigation." The safety agency also said that electrical overstress appeared to be the root cause in a 2016 recall by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV of 1.4 million U.S. vehicles for airbag non-deployments in significant frontal crashes.

Is Kia working on a sporty convertible?

It's been a number of years since we last heard rumors about a drop-top Kia, but as the South Korean automaker continues to grow into new segments, why not stir things up again? Fan site Kia-world.net got its hands on what is claimed to be an exclusive drawing (click to enlarge) of the Kia Pro_cee'd GT Cabrio.
This rendering looks exactly like what we'd picture a topless version of the three-door hatchback to look like, but until there's any official information, we'll keep this filed under "we'll believe it when we see it." The idea of a Kia convertible sounds good to us, especially if it looks like this, but we're still waiting for the sporty model that lead designer Peter Schreyer said could happen "sooner or later" back in 2010.