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Honda, Hyundai and Kia get best word-of-mouth recommendations in US

Forget advertising, incentives and, yes, even our excellently crafted vehicle reviews, sometimes the best way for automakers to sell cars is still good ol' fashioned word of mouth. In an attempt to measure this "word of mouth" power, The Boston Consulting Group, a management consulting firm, has created a new study called the Brand Advocacy Index (BAI). The index takes a look at how various industries perform from person to person. Those industries include automotive, smartphones, grocery, mobile telecommunications and banking.
The study polled more than 32,000 individuals across Europe and in the US to come up with the top 55 brands in these various industries. On the automotive side of things, the top brands in the US were Honda, Hyundai and Kia, all tied at 63 percent. On a global scale, Volkswagen and Toyota scored the highest with a 65-percent BAI rating (both in France). The average BAI for auto industry players tallied 50 percent.
As for companies in other industries, Apple's iPhone was the index's top-rated smartphone, Trader Joe's was the highest recommended grocery store, Virgin was sat atop the mobile telecom industry and USAA was the top retail bank. Scroll down for the full press release on the new study.

Kia Telluride spy shots reveal crossover's grille

The Kia Telluride seems to be making steady progress on its way to production, as evidenced by these new spy photos. The large crossover SUV was spied testing with much less camouflage than the last time we saw it. So little that we get a pretty clear picture of the front fascia and what appears to be a production grille and front bumper, unadorned with fake bodywork. Notably, the Telluride still retains much of the square, blocky design shown on the 2016 concept, such as in its tall, sheer nose. But it has softened in a number of ways. The grille is much broader and curves back toward the headlights. It also has a bit of a sweep upward, which is exaggerated by the additional opening below the grille. The headlights have also increased in size compared with the concept, particularly vertically. They also wrap around the fender instead of being inset. Moving around to the sides and the rear, there's more camouflage, but we can spot some details taken directly from the concept. One of them is the chrome trim surrounding the windows that has a little extension up the B-Pillar. The rear taillights are also heavily inspired by the concept's inverted "L"-shaped lights. Unlike the concept, the production lights appear to span the full width of the rear hatch. As for when we'll see the production Telluride, we would estimate within a year. A report from January implied that we would be hearing an announcement in the near-future regarding the new family crossover, and this latest prototype is looking pretty close to production specification. Hyundai seems to be on its way to releasing its own version of the three-row SUV, possibly styled after the Grandmaster concept, for 2019 or 2020. Related Video:

These cars are headed to the Great Crusher In The Sky

It happens every year. We bid adieu to some cars and trucks that will be missed, and say good riddance to others wondering how they stayed around so long. Whether they're being killed off for slow sales or due to a new product coming along to replace them, the list of vehicles being discontinued after 2012 is surprisingly long and diverse.
CNN Money has compiled a list of departing vehicles, to which we've added a few more of our own. In the slow sales column, cars like the Lexus HS 250h, Mercedes-Benz R-Class and the full Maybach lineup appear, while the Ford Escape Hybrid, Mazda CX-7 and Hyundai Veracruz are all having their gaps filled with more modern and more fuel-efficient alternatives. Obvious exceptions to the rule include models that still sell in decent numbers like the Jeep Liberty and the Chrysler Town & Country (which will eventually be replaced by a crossover-like vehicle).
Check out our gallery of discontinued cars above, then scroll down for more information.