2014 Kia Sorento Sx, 3rd Row Seats, Leather, Panoroof, Ac/htd Seats, L@@k!! on 2040-cars

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Hyundai, Kia consider body-on-frame SUVs aimed at Tahoe and Expedition

Hyundai and Kia are open to expanding their presence in the SUV segment by each releasing a body-on-frame SUV. Both models will be marketed as alternatives to the Chevrolet Tahoe and the Ford Expedition. "From a brand perspective, obviously that is thinkable. Now, whether it makes sense, and in what region, and with what particular concept remains to be seen," said Lorenz Glaab, Hyundai's head of global product management, in an interview with Australia's CarSales. "Nothing can be excluded. There is some dynamism in that segment you just described, and we are very much aware of that. We monitor it closely," he added. Hyundai and Kia sell the Palisade and the Telluride, respectively. Both are rather large, reasonably spacious, and relatively powerful, but they can't compete against body-on-fame SUVs like the Tahoe, the Expedition, and the Toyota Land Cruiser, among others. They feature unibody construction, so they're not as capable off-road. While neither firm has suitable underpinnings to build an SUV on, CarSales believes both new models will ride on a modular frame being developed internally, in part to underpin a pickup about as big as the Ford Ranger. Kia officials requested a bigger, more rugged SUV earlier in 2020. Damien Meredith, the chief operating officer of the firm's Australian division, said he wants "one or two bigger SUVs." He also confirmed Kia will launch a Ranger-baiting pickup, which lends credibility to the claim that the platform will also be used to underpin an SUV. Powertrain specifications are still up in the air. Rear-wheel drive will presumably come standard, and four-wheel drive will be either offered at an extra cost, or made standard on some variants. CarSales speculates a two-speed transfer case could be available, and it added the 3.0-liter turbodiesel straight-six developed for the Genesis GV80 will be the base engine in some global markets. It's reasonable to assume a hybrid option will appear, too. If the report is accurate, both SUVs could land in 2023, meaning they might be labeled 2024 models in the United States. They'd also be sold in Australia, where motorists have a healthy appetite for off-roaders, in the Middle East, where the Land Cruiser and the Nissan Armada reign supreme, and in Russia. Interestingly, posh spin-off Genesis could receive its own version of the SUV, much like Lexus gets a specific variant of the Land Cruiser. Deja vu?

Melissa McCarthy sent fleeing in the Kia Niro Super Bowl teaser

The Super Bowl is drawing near and with it comes a cavalcade of over-the-top and outrageously expensive mid-game ads. The cult of the commercial has grown so large that 60-second ads are getting 15-second teasers. For Kia's eighth year at the Super Bowl, the Korean automaker will be promoting its new hybrid, the Niro. The company released a new trailer hyping its third-quarter ad slot. The teaser doesn't actually feature the Niro. Instead flag-waving actor Melissa McCarthy is shown screaming and fleeing across a field from some unknown assailant, presumably the Niro's rival, a Toyota Prius, done up like the War Rig from Mad Max Fury Road. Kia promises the game day commercial will trace "a heroic and harrowing journey stretching from the polar ice caps to an arid desert" all while showing why the Niro is a new type of crossover. We really just want to know what's written on the flag. Related Video:

2015 Kia Sorento shows its new face in fashion-forward Paris

It seems like we've been catching glimpses of the 2015 Sorento for ages now, but Kia has finally revealed the European version of its revised crossover at the 2014 Paris Motor Show.
For the latest Sorento, Kia a few of the elements from the Cross GT concept and adapts them for the road. The production model has the brand's familiar mesh grille up front and headlights that wrap around the body with large foglights below. It features a modified version of the concept's swept-back stance that thankfully removes the awkwardness from the original design. Kia says that shaping the latest crossover was truly a global effort with input coming from Korea, Germany and the US.
For Europe, powertrains amount to a trio of four-cylinder engines with a 2.4-liter gasoline unit with 185 horsepower, a 2.0-liter diesel with 182 hp and 2.2-liter diesel with 197 hp. They're all available with a six-speed automatic, and a six-speed manual is offered on the petrol mill and 2.2-liter oil-burner.