2015 Kia Sorento Lx on 2040-cars

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Kia unveils SP Signature concept at Seoul Motor Show

The Seoul Motor Show is alive and kicking, and Kia has used its home event to display two new concepts. One is the Mohave Masterpiece large SUV, which is what our Borrego could have become if the Borrego hadn't been sent to slaughter in 2009 after just one year on sale here. The other concept is the SP Signature, said to preview a compact crossover Kia will sell around the world starting later this year. The four-door is a toned-down, more production-ready version of the SP concept unveiled at India's Auto Expo last year. The car's a bit of a cryptid, with few facts and plenty of fuzzy details to go on. The SP Signature concept apparently began as an Indian-market product, then morphed into a worldwide offering. Kia said the "SP Concept hints at the company's plans to introduce a new small SUV for its global markets," but that "hint" has already been confirmed; Kia Motors CEO Han-Woo Park told Automotive News last October that the U.S. would get a new compact crossover in late 2019, and a prototype matching the Signature's profile has been spotted testing. Slotting in below the Sportage and about the size of the Hyundai Kona, the reported retail name is Tusker, but we aren't sure that name will apply here. Although the Signature evokes Kona vibes, detailing makes the Signature look more technical and hawkish than the Kona, which we like. Rumor also has it that the so-called Tusker won't include all-wheel drive as an option so as to leave daylight between it and the Sportage. Several outlets have posited a debut at the New York Auto Show, partly because the N.Y. show put out a press release listing Kia as one of the automakers with a world debut. That press release has since disappeared, and with Hyundai having announced the even smaller Venue crossover for New York, it's possible Kia could have to give way to big brother.

2021 Kia Optima revealed in K5 form for South Korea

Less than a week after teaser drawings were released, the 2021 Kia Optima midsize sedan has been revealed in the form of the South Korean-market K5. The overall design matches the renderings closely, giving the car a more aggressive look, but it is still clearly an Optima. The company hasn't revealed the car's interior and mechanical specs, though. The front of the new Optima is more blunt with a grille that leans forward almost like that of a Dodge Charger. The headlights blend into the grille, and it has parts that trail off into the fenders. The grille has a three-dimensional mesh that Kia says was inspired by the rough texture of shark skin. The sides of the car feature modest curves to give it a muscular look. The greenhouse has a similar shape to that of the current car, with fastback rear pillars and tall rear quarter windows. Chrome bars trace the roof rails to the base of the rear pillars like on the current car, but now they meet in a curve around the top of the trunk lid. At the back is the most significant departure from the current car, a full-width taillight bar. With the car revealed in South Korea, it probably won't be long before we see the American-market car revealed. Under the skin will probably be the same powertrains as those in the new Hyundai Sonata. That means a choice of either a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine making 191 horsepower or a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder making 180 horsepower. Both will be coupled to an eight-speed automatic. Expect hybrid variants and possibly a more powerful turbo 2.0-liter engine coming down the road.

65k Kia Sorento models face NHTSA probe for shattering sunroof

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration isn't ready to give up its investigation into spontaneously shattering sunroofs in the 2011-2013 Kia Sorento yet. In fact, it has actually broadened it into a full engineering analysis affecting as many as 65,347 vehicles.
The investigation started in 2013 when NHTSA received 15 complaints about breaking sunroofs in the crossover. Since then, the regulator requested data from Kia and found that there have been 95 complaints of the roof abruptly braking. In many of those cases, the vehicle was moving at the time. People have been injured when this happens; NHTSA found 14 incidents where at least one person in the vehicle suffered from cuts or scrapes.
According to the investigation document, Kia also conducted its own internal review but couldn't find any defects. The company claims that the only way for the roof to break is for an object to strike it. Although, it does admit that the large surface of the sunroof on the Sorento could be the cause of the high frequency of damage. NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation isn't convinced and calls it "concerning." It's pressing forward to find more details in the engineering analysis.