2008 Kia Spectra Ex Sedan 4-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Audi, Jag, Kia and Tesla top Strategic Vision 2014 Total Quality Index

A couple weeks ago, J.D. Power released its latest Initial Quality Study, which gave high marks to Porsche, Hyundai and General Motors, with the latter earning more individual IQS awards than any other manufacturer. Now, it's Strategic Vision's turn, and it's doling out its praise not to Porsche, but to Tesla, which wasn't even included in the JD Power IQS.
The Model S was named the best vehicle overall in total quality, while Porsche's corporate brother and endurance-racing rival, Audi, was named the best premium brand, alongside Jaguar. Strategic Vision cited the Q5 and the ancient Q7 for individual segment awards, as well as the A5, which was a mere point off the top of its segment. SV also handed out compliments for the Audi's interior work. The win for the German brand is a nice improvement over its IQS score, with which it landed above the industry average, but solidly mid-pack.
Jaguar was without a segment winner, although SV did say that the Indian-owned English brand had a number of vehicles very near the top of their segments. This is the second significant win for Jag in two weeks, after it finished second overall on the JD Power IQS a few weeks ago.

2020 Kia Telluride First Drive | The cool dad of crossovers

TELLURIDE, Colo. — We're going to be talking a lot here about practicality and value, but inevitably, the main appeal of the 2020 Kia Telluride comes down to its styling. People dig it. It's boxy, rugged and has a whiff of Range Rover premium cool. In a three-row crossover segment dominated by non-descript family haulers, the Telluride stands out by subtly flying its family flag. It's the cool dad in a leather jacket and Ray Ban Wayfarers standing next to the shlub in wrinkled khakis. The visual attraction carries inside. There is a style present in even low trim levels that you just won't get in the Honda Pilots and Subaru Ascents of this world, which prioritize simple functionality. The risk to that approach is that it makes it especially difficult on upper trims to make them look and feel like vehicles that warrant price tags approaching $50,000. The Telluride has no such issue, as the range-topping SX trim level we tested boasts a cabin worthy of such a luxury-nearing price tag. There's convincing wood trim, soft leather and leather-like surfaces everywhere, and feature content that's second to none in the segment. Better yet, the volume-selling EX trim level one rung down the ladder has pretty much the same look, but with fewer high-lux features slathered on. While the Telluride's mechanically related cousin, the Hyundai Palisade, has generated plenty of interest since its introduction, the big Kia feels like it has captured actual buzz. Still, the two are awfully similar on paper. The wheelbase is identical, as is the 3.8-liter V6, eight-speed automatic and 5,000-pound towing capacity. The Kia's is a mere 0.8 inch longer and 0.4 inches taller, but there's 1.8-inch greater third-row headroom, and three more cubic feet of space behind the third row — perhaps its most significant difference. The Telluride's cabin is also bigger and more spacious than popular entries like the Pilot, Ascent and Toyota Highlander. Only the 2020 Ford Explorer and gargantuan Chevrolet Traverse enjoy a size advantage among three-row crossovers. Importantly, however, the Telluride's big enough inside that shoppers should be able to easily distinguish it from the Sorento, despite both having three rows of seats. Simply, the Sorento is for people who might use the third row on occasion for short distances and/or with short people. The Telluride's third row can be used by anyone on a regular basis.

Dancer who portrays Kia hamster accused of disability fraud

Tsk, tsk, dancing hamster. Kia's trio of anthropomorphic rodents may be down a member, as the actor that portrays one of the dancing hamsters has been arrested on charges of disability fraud. According to The Huffington Post, 27-year-old LeRoy Barnes accepted over $51,000 in disability payments following a workplace injury in 2010. While accepting the money, he's accused of performing under aliases, in addition to his costumed work for Kia. "Fraudulently collecting disability benefits is not only illegal, it disrespects legitimately injured Californians who are unable to work," Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said in a release obtained by HuffPo. Barnes was arrested back in March and posted $50,000 in bail the following day.