2014 Kia Sorento on 2040-cars

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Kia's Super Bowl ads all seem to put Melissa McCarthy and the Kia Niro in peril

It seems that actress and comedienne Melissa McCarthy isn't going to catch a break in this year's Kia Niro hybrid Super Bowl commercials. The company previously teased an ad in which she runs in terror from something in an arid, possibly African landscape. The latest teaser shows her in much colder climates, and this time you can actually see a Niro. The problem is, it's stranded on an iceberg. In the teaser, she calls up Kia roadside assistance to ask just whether you actually need to be on a road to use it. No answer is given, so we'll probably have to wait for the full commercial to find out the resolution. Perhaps some polar bears, recognizing the Niro's environmentally-friendly 50 mpg rating, will push her iceberg to land so she can escape. We'll surely know when both this ad and the one set in the desert will air during the third quarter of the Super Bowl. Related Video:

Watch these Super Bowl car commercials [UPDATE]

On Sunday, February 3, the New England Patriots take on the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 53 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Some will watch because of the storyline of the old-school dynasty facing off against the new-school wunderkinds, but a large chunk of people will solely be watching for the commercials. Lucky for those who slot into the latter category, many of the manufacturers release their super bowl ads ahead of time, or have simply opted to release the commercials only online. Scroll down to see what car companies have already shown their cards. Audi Audi goes the comedic route in its clip for the Big Game. It starts with a grandpa showing his grandson a gorgeous Audi e-tron GT tucked away in a garage before he's shaken awake. Turns out he was just choking on a cashew in his cubicle at his boring job. Dodge Dodge does what it knows: create enough smoke to punch more holes in the ozone layer. Set to "The Devil Went Down to Georgia (the Super Bowl is in Atlanta, get it!?), a Challenger SRT Hellcat widebody, Charger SRT Hellcat, and Durango SRT are seen ripping through a city, leaving a trail of rubber crumbs in their wakes. Genesis Genesis has not yet released a commercial prior to the Super Bowl, but it is the official luxury vehicle of the NFL. Because of this, Genesis is hosting a fan experience for 10 days before the game. It will showcase the brand's cars, offer games, and have photos opportunities and autograph days. Hyundai Jason Bateman alert! Hyundai is one of the few companies to hook a major celebrity for its advertisement, and the casting is perfect. Bateman plays a doorman who takes people to various terrible events in life, including root canals, the middle seat, and shopping for a car. The ad centers around Hyundai's Shopper Assurance, which is Hyundai's new method for car shopping. Jeep An old 1963 Jeep Gladiator finds its strength in the crusher and transforms into a a new 2020 Gladiator, with a firm declaration that the nameplate is officially back. Kia Through Kia's commercial, a young boy wonders out loud what it'd be like if the millions spent on Super Bowl commercials were used to help others.

2021 Kia Sedona minivan won't look much like a minivan

In June, Kia first teased the exterior of the fourth-generation 2021 Carnival minivan for South Korea that we know as the Sedona, then it teased the interior. Today, the Asian automaker combines the photo sets with explanations about what Kia calls the new-generation "grand utility vehicle" — or as Car Advice calls it, "The 'guv'" — will provide customers inside and out. The exterior aims for a more upscale SUV-ish look, with a longer hood and more upright A-pillar offsetting the reduced front overhang, and faux skid plates on front and rear bumpers. The new take on the trademark "Tiger Nose" grille gets large-pore diagonal mesh within a chrome band that incorporates the super-slim headlights and LED running lights. Straight shoulder and lower character lines connect more pronounced wheel arches. Above that, black A- and B-pillars create what Kia calls an "island roof," a hockey-stick C-pillar the only contrasting flourish between the floating upper and the body. In back, a full-width red light bar mimics the slim illumination in front. That body sits on Kia's new midsize platform and has grown in wheelbase by 1.2 inches, in overall length by 1.6 inches, 1.2 of that being rear overhang, and width gets an extra pip of 0.4 inches. Liftover height has been lowered an inch to make loading the family tackle easier, as do the power tailgate and power-sliding doors. There will be up to eight exterior paint choices, and wheel sizes ranging from 17 to 19 inches. Under that longer hood there will either be a gasoline direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 with 290 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, a multi-port injected 3.5-liter V6 with 268 hp and 245 lb-ft, or a 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel making 200 hp and 325 lb-ft. Since there's no mention of a four-cylinder, the Sedona won't follow the new Sorento's lead. We expect one of those gas options over here, but we're not sure which, and their outputs bracket the output from the current 3.3 liter that makes 276 hp and 248 lb-ft. A rotary shifter will control an eight-speed automatic in all trims.  Handling, ride, ambiance, and NVH improve thanks to a new fully independent suspension attached at some points with liquid-filled bushings to a new multi-skeletal cross-member. There's more sound-deadening throughout the body, a covered underbody to reduce noise, and a reshaped intake to hush the engines.