2015 Kia Sorento Lx on 2040-cars

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Hyundai promoting younger execs in bid to 'smoothen an eventual leadership succession'

Experience versus the next generation. It's the decision any organization has to make when it comes to its succession of leadership. But even companies that value wisdom over vitality will eventually have to hand the reins to a new generation of leaders. And that seems to be what the Hyundai Motor Group is preparing for. The Korean automaker has promoted three executives in their early 50s to the rank of Executive Vice President. Chief marketing officer Cho Won-hong (50), PR chief Kong Young-woon (50) and Kim Gyun (52), head of strategic planning at Kia, are all being promoted to the role, putting them in senior leadership positions at one of the world's largest automakers. Reuters frames the promotions as earmarked to "smoothen an eventual leadership succession" at Hyundai. The family-owned company is currently chaired by Chung Mong-koo (76), who has given little indication that he's preparing to step down in the near future. But when he does, he's widely expected to relinquish control to his only son, current vice-chairman and former Kia president Chung Eui-sun (44, pictured), who is said to have chosen the aforementioned US-educated Cho for the promotion. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: SAMUEL KUBANI/AFP/Getty Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Hyundai Kia

2020 Kia Telluride Review & Buying Guide | A stylish and practical family hauler

The 2020 Kia Telluride joins the growing list of three-row family crossovers, adding a more rugged vibe to what has become a pretty sensible shoes segment. Its boxier styling and clean lines certainly imply that this big SUV could get dirty, although its rather pedestrian all-wheel drive system and average ground clearance would indicate it's mostly for show. Or at least, a hefty dump of snow. That's OK, folks wear outdoorsy garb from Mountain Hardwear and rarely visit the mountains. We're impressed by the new Telluride's spacious cabin, a massive features list and plenty of thoughtful, family-friendly details like USB ports in every row and second-row seats that slide and fold at the press of a button. The Telluride really steps things up in its range-topping SX trim, which unlike many competitors, looks and feels genuinely luxurious. The Telluride's well-balanced driving experience and impressive value round out a genuinely appealing three-row SUV that deserves serious consideration. What's new for 2020? The Telluride is an all-new model for Kia, filling the gap at the top of its SUV lineup. What's the interior and in-car technology like? Admittedly, we have only had contact with the ritziest, range-topping Telluride SX model that boasts soft, interestingly stitched leather, convincing faux wood trim, and a generally luxurious ambience that trumps everything else in the segment. Oh, and it costs less than range-topping rivals that actually have less equipment. Now, will an LX and EX be as swank? No, but the general quality of plastics, switchgear and other materials should still be above average. Every Telluride is also extremely well equipped. Check out the pricing and features section below for a full breakdown, but suffice to say, you don't need to pay top dollar to get heated and ventilated seats, sunshades and an abundance of infotainment features. Indeed, every Telluride comes standard with five USB ports, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and satellite radio. An 8-inch touchscreen is standard (and is typically sized for the segment), yet the EX and SX features a wide 10.25-inch touchscreen that will not only impress your friends with its largesse, but it improves functionality as well. It brings with it wireless smartphone charging, integrated navigation and a grand total of seven USB ports spread throughout all rows.

A verified hit, Kia Soul EV will come to new markets

Today at the Chicago Auto Show, Kia introduced a new off-road Trailster plug-in concept, but the real-world news was all about how the Soul EV will be traveling to places it hasn't gone before. When Kia introduced the Soul EV in Chicago last year, it said that the car would some day be available in five states: California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Maryland. Today, company executives said the car will be coming to more markets – they just declined to mention where, exactly. The Soul EV is currently sold in just 17 dealerships in California, Orth Hedrick, vice president of product planning at Kia Motors America, told AutoblogGreen. "For the next stage, we were originally planning on hitting the east coast, but we are changing that around a little bit. You'll see more availability," he said. Hedrick said that the change was prompted by the simple fact that the Soul is attracting new customers. "We went back to the factory and told them it's doing very well and it's now expanded beyond an EV, it's something bigger," he said. "It's helping us get a dialogue with completely new, different customer that we normally wouldn't see in a Kia store. So we would like the opportunity to take it further." We asked if customer interest in the compliance car caught the company off guard. Hedrick said that wasn't quite the right way to look at the history of the Soul EV. "When we looked at it originally, we were trying to go beyond the compliance part," he said. "We understood, of course, that we had to do it, but we wanted to showcase something that was really strong for us, which is the Soul, and we thought it would help build out the Soul family and bring more people to see us and that's exactly what's happening. It was a little more than compliance but I think we were kind of shocked how well it was received. It's been a huge hit." "Huge" in this case means bigger than Kia's original production capacity estimates, he said, without getting into specifics. It was "significantly more than what we originally planned for," he said. The Soul EV is built in Korea and the car is sold there, the US and will be coming to Europe as well. "I don't think they're in a position to ramp up quickly," Hedrick said, "They're in the process of ramping up more and we'll have an announcement, we hope, by New York, about where we're going to go to." The New York Auto Show media days start April 1, 2015.