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2020 Kia Telluride makes surprise debut at New York Fashion Week

About two and a half years after the concept's debut in Detroit, the (mostly) production 2020 Kia Telluride has been revealed in New York for Fashion Week. The odd location for the reveal has to do with a partnership with fashion designer Brandon Maxwell who got Kia to donate to his childhood school district in Marfa, Texas, as part of the deal to display the SUV at the show. It has also been customized to fit Maxwell's Texas-themed line of fashion for spring and summer of 2019. Although the production SUV is partly obscured by custom features such as the off-road bumpers, skid plates, auxiliary lights, ladder and spare tire, this is still our best look yet at the SUV. There's clearly a lot of influence from the old concept, but there's also been quite a bit of compromise for production. It's a clean design that's still pretty squared off. The headlight and grille design borrow heavily from the concept, and the taillights are pulled right from it. It's much taller now and more rounded. The rear hatch isn't upright and vertical anymore, the front fascia has been given an arc that softens it, and the proportions between the headlights and grille seem like they may still be in flux. Kia is still keeping many of the technical details under wraps. The company says that the Telluride will have seating for up to 8 passengers, and that it's a few inches longer and wider than the current largest crossover in its line, the 7-passenger Sorento. It will also have a V6 under the hood. Availability and pricing still have yet to be announced, but we expect it to go on sale early next year. The crossover will be assembled at Kia's factory in Georgia. Related Video:

More than a half-million Hyundai, Kia compacts recalled for brake light problem

Hyundai and Kia will recall more than a half-million compact cars in the U.S. starting next year because of a brake-light problem. The recall covers more than 390,000 Hyundai Elantras from the 2013 and 2014 model years, and more than 134,000 Kia Forte cars from 2012 through 2014. The Associated Press, citing documents the companies filed with the federal government, reports that a polymer stopper pad between the brake pedal arm and the light switch can deteriorate and keep the brake lights on when the brakes aren't actually engaged. The problem also means a driver can shift out of park without stepping on the brake pedal. Neither automaker reported any crashes or injuries stemming from the issue. Dealers will replace the stopped pads starting Jan. 30 for Kia and Feb. 8 for Hyundai.Related Video:

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: