2014 Kia Sorento Ex on 2040-cars

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Kia Telluride SUV rated at up to 23 mpg combined

On paper, the 2020 Kia Telluride looks like it will compete well with the rest of the three-row SUV challengers. It offers unique looks, available all-wheel drive, an upscale interior, and affordable pricing. It's fuel economy numbers, however, pretty much fall in line with the Kia's main competitors. The Telluride will have two orientations at launch. The 3.8-liter V6, which makes 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, and eight-speed automatic transition will work together with either front-wheel drive or AWD setups. The EPA estimates that the FWD model will get 20 mpg city, 26 highway, and 23 combined. The EPA rates the AWD model at 19 mpg city, 24 highway, and 21 combined. That falls in line with most other mainstream V6-powered three-row SUVs. Although the rear-wheel-drive 2020 Ford Explorer has not yet been rated, the Honda Pilot with a 9-speed automatic gets 23 mpg combined, the 9-speed Chevrolet Traverse is rated at 21 mpg combined, the 6-speed Hyundai Santa Fe is rated at 21 mpg combined, and the 8-speed Toyota Highlander is rated at 23 mpg combined. The 8-speed Volkswagen Atlas brings up the rear of the pack with a rating of 19 mpg combined. For further comparison, the Mazda CX-9 has a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that's rated at 24 mpg combined, and the Subaru Ascent, which also has a turbocharged four but comes standard with all-wheel drive, gets 23 mpg combined.

Automakers drop support for Trump effort against California emissions

WASHINGTON — Toyota, Fiat Chrysler (now known as Stellantis following its merger with Peugeot) and other major automakers said on Tuesday they were joining General Motors in abandoning support for former President Donald Trump's effort to bar California from setting its own zero emission vehicle rules. The automakers, which also included Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, Mazda and Subaru, said in a joint statement they were withdrawing from an ongoing legal challenge to California's emission-setting powers, "in a gesture of good faith and to find a constructive path forward" with President Joe Biden. The automakers, along with the National Automobile Dealers Association, said they were aligned "with the Biden administrationÂ’s goals to achieve year-over-year improvements in fuel economy standards." Nissan in December withdrew from the challenge after GM's decision in November shocked the industry and won praise from Biden. On Monday, the Justice Department asked the U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia to put the California emissions litigation on hold to "ensure due respect for the prerogative of the executive branch to reconsider the policy decisions of a prior administration." Biden has directed agencies to quickly reconsider TrumpÂ’s 2019 decision to revoke CaliforniaÂ’s authority to set its own auto tailpipe emissions standards and require rising numbers of zero-emission vehicles, as well as Trump's national fuel economy rollback. Asked to respond to the automakers' action, White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy said in a statement that "after four years of putting us in reverse, it is time to restart and build a sustainable future, grow domestic manufacturing, and deliver clean cars for America." California Governor Gavin Newsom praised the automakers on Twitter for "dropping your climate-denying, air-polluting, Trump-era lawsuit against CA" and urged them to join the voluntary framework. TALKS WITH BIDEN Separately, an industry trade group on Tuesday proposed to start talks with Biden on revised fuel economy standards that would be higher than Trump-era standards but lower than ones set during the prior Democratic administration. The Trump administration in March finalized a rollback of U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards to require 1.5% annual increases in efficiency through 2026, well below the 5% yearly boosts under the Obama administration rules it discarded.

Music-inspired Kia Souls overload our senses

SEMA has been pretty mellow this year in terms of over-the-top mod jobs. Sure, there have been some questionable choices, but none have been quite as questionable as the vehicle you see above. This is one of five versions of the redesigned Kia Soul that have been rolled out for the show, all of which take their inspiration from music.
The Vans Warped Tour Soul is the airbrushed vehicle you can see above. Its questionable paint job is accentuated by eight eight-inch Infinity speakers in the side windows, a slide-out barbecue and a 50-inch flat panel monitor on the roof. We imagine this is what happens when you let Xzibit near your Kia Soul. The Vans Warped Tour car also features LED ambient lighting, and the wheels are moderately sized for a SEMA vehice - just 20-inches.
The Amped Soul (above, left) isn't a car, so much as a car-shaped enclosure for several very big speakers. The passenger-side B-pillar has been removed, and the rear door has been replaced with a suicide door, allowing the driver to put the massive stereo on display. LED lighting and four twelve-inch Infinity subwoofers have been fitted, as well as a JBL Pro Live "club-sized stereo." Those gold wheels are 22-inch Forgiato, three-piece items.