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Kia design boss hints at an electric version of the Stinger

We return to the much-scrutinized Kia Stinger, the critically acclaimed but slow-selling performance sedan whose future is the subject of intense speculation. Thanks to an interview in Top Gear with the head of Kia design, Karim Habib, we now have not only official confirmation that the four-door fastback is getting a mid-cycle refresh, but also some hints about how the model might stick around by evolving. In the interview, Habib said he hopes that the “spirit of the Stinger” remains as the Kia brand evolves. “As the technology goes toward EVs and as the world and its appetite for these types of cars changes, the concept probably has to evolve as well,” he said. Is that a hint that the Stinger might eventually go electric? LetÂ’s explore. Kia has already announced its intentions to launch 11 new electric vehicles globally by 2025, including some with an 800-volt charging system for high-speed charging. TheyÂ’re doing so on a platform that will be purpose-built for EVs in partnership with Hyundai that can support larger and more powerful electric vehicles than either the Soul EV or Niro EV, KiaÂ’s two existing battery-electric offerings. Presumably that opens the door to build an electric Stinger or similar four-door sedan — Habib talked about the need to keep the “sporty, affordable, beautiful sculpture” around, if not necessarily the nameplate itself. But electrifying the Stinger would in all likelihood easily eclipse the 255-horsepower from the base 2.0-liter turbo-four and at least match the 365 hp offered by the twin-turbo V6. It would also undoubtedly represent a huge upgrade in fuel economy, which tops out at 25 mpg combined and is one of the StingerÂ’s few weak points. Kia is also working on battery technology that promises up to 310 miles of driving range. For now, anyway, we know from spy shots that Kia is preparing to give the Stinger interior and exterior styling updates and, reportedly, slight power boosts by tweaking the existing 2.0-liter and 3.3-liter mills. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

Kia Sportage MSRP up by almost 14 percent for 2014, starting at $21,600*

When Kia introduced the updated 2014 Sportage back in September, one of the biggest things that stood out to us was that the base model was dropped. Not only did this mean the Sportage would no longer be offered with a manual gearbox, but we also expected a price increase to follow. We were right.
The entry-level trim for the 2014 Sportage is now the LX, which starts at $21,600 (not including $850 for destination). This is only a $400 increase over the 2013 Sportage LX, but it represents a $2,600 jump (13.6 percent) in the Sportage's starting price point. At this new price, the Sportage is now priced higher than the Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and lower than many other compact crossovers like the Ford Escape, Chevy Equinox, Nissan Rogue, Jeep Cherokee and Toyota RAV4. Pricing for the 2014 Sportage EX has increased by $800, starting at $25,000, while the sportier, turbocharged Sportage SX holds steady at $26,900.
In addition to other minor changes like slightly refreshed exterior styling, a sportier suspension setup for the LX trim level and more available cabin tech, the other key update made to the 2014 Sportage is the addition of direct injection to the base 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. This brings a slight bump in power output (from 176 horsepower and 168 pound-feet of torque in 2013 to 182 hp and 178 lb-ft for 2014), but, for some reason unknown to us, it dings fuel economy. With ratings of 21 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, the front-wheel-drive Sportage loses 2 mpg for the highway rating compared to 2013, while the all-wheel-drive model's 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway is a drop of 1 mpg for both figures.

The anti-Prius | 2017 Kia Niro Hybrid First Drive

The 2017 Kia Niro is a significant model for the brand. It's the company's first car designed from the get-go to be a hybrid. And as Kia's VP of product planning explains, it's helping lead the company's push to improve fuel economy by 25 percent across the board. So it's kind of funny that almost everything about this car reads as "conventional" or simply "normal." There are exceptions to this. Under the attractive – if not adventurous – skin is some interesting technology. Most of the mechanicals are shared with the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq, including the direct-injected 1.6-liter inline-four and electric motor that send power to the front wheels. The powertrain makes a combined 139 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. Kia also implemented various aerodynamic and weight aids to make the most of the engine and motor. The Niro features air curtains, a rear spoiler, and active air shutters to help achieve a 0.29 coefficient of drag, and the hood, hatch, brake calipers, and some suspension components are all made of aluminum. Plus, when ordered with navigation, the Niro will provide tips on driving more efficiently, and will use topographical information to use electric power in the most efficient manner. The various bits of fuel-maximizing technology mean the Niro manages Prius-like fuel economy ratings of 52 mpg in the city, 49 on the highway, and 50 combined. That's only for the base FE model, though. Moving up to the slightly better-equipped LX and EX models yields a small decrease to 51 city, 46 highway, and 49 overall. If you opt for the Touring model, shown here, because you want all the bells and whistles, be ready to sacrifice more mileage – it only manages 46 city, 40 highway, and 43 overall. Kia says this is due to the increased weight of the standard features, different roof rails that change the aerodynamic profile, and the larger, wider 18-inch wheels and tires that increase the rotational mass and rolling resistance. All of the effort Kia put into making the Niro a highly efficient Prius fighter seems to have been matched by an effort to make the car appear as normal as possible and give it the broadest appeal. So, no polarizing looks like on the latest Prius and Prius Prime. Glancing at it, you'd say the Niro is just another crossover. The greenhouse looks like a scaled-down version of the Sorento's. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since the larger Kia crossover is fairly handsome.