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Dealership worker takes Kia Soul for 200-mile joyride

Most often, dealership road-test capers in customer cars involve exciting metal - an employee totals a Chevy Camaro ZL1, or a does the same thing with a Dodge Viper. Or tapes himself wringing out Italian exotics at triple-digit speeds on public roads. That kind of horseplay rarely involves mass-market metal because it's not worth getting caught running red lights in a 2001 Mitsubishi Montero - except that actually happened, too. But we still don't understand the mechanic at Peak Kia North in Windor, CO, who used a customer's Kia Soul as his own car for four days and put 200 miles on it. Owner Veronica Pief discovered the nonsense when she downloaded the 17 hours of driving video from her dashcam. She dropped the Soul off to have its speed-volume control fixed, but got it back with the extra mileage and the volume problem still hadn't been remedied. It got worse when she said of the dealership, "Afterwards, they just blew us off. They didn't care. They didn't show any concern." Sometime between that disrespect and Denver's KUSA 9NEWS doing a story on it, the dealer decided it should fix the situation. Pief said she wanted the dealer to buy her car back and pay off the loan, which sounds extreme, but she might have been thinking about the verbiage in her owner's manual. Kia is one of the automakers that's strict about voiding warranties if it deems a car has been abused. Peak Kia North gave Pief what she wanted just one day after the original story ran, buying the car back from her with plans to auction it and donate the proceeds to charity. And yes, the mechanic was fired. You can watch the local news report above. Related Video: News Source: Detroit Free Press, 9NEWS Auto News Kia Car Dealers Hatchback Videos viral video colorado

New sketches show Kia small SUV interior

Little more than a week after releasing sketches of the exterior, Kia presents sketches of the interior of its first-ever small global SUV. Sticking to the message of enticements for younger buyers, we're told this will be a "bold design statement" that is "trimmed in high-quality materials throughout" with the aim of creating a "modern ambiance to appeal to young-at-heart, tech-savvy buyers." The renderings appear a good start to supporting those arguments. The centerpiece is a 10.25-inch infotainment screen stood atop the instrument panel. A menu button on the top left, a row of navigation buttons along the bottom edge, and two rows of navigation icons on the screen should keep everything an occupant could want no more than a couple of touches away. Beneath the screen come some chunky air vents, beneath those, an HVAC screen supported by an HVAC knob and controls. Notice how the IP design slides from the control surface into a passenger grab handle anchored on the center tunnel. To the left, a steering wheel loosely modeled on the one from the Sportage, ahead of an instrument binnacle that's a quartet analogue gauges bracketing a digital display. The images show two different interior grades; for instance, one HVAC knob is printed with the word "Auto," while the other isn't, and the steering wheels in the two images are slightly different. The differences are more pronounced around the shifter — which might, in fact, represent two kinds of shifters. AutoPortal reports there'll be an automatic transmission as well as a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. One gear lever is flanked by seven buttons, three of them for the heated steering and ventilated seats. Another button turns off the park assistance feature. Then there's what looks like a hill descent control button, one for some sort of all-wheel drive feature like a locking rear differential, and a final button to turn off the Stop/Start system. The other image looks like the more luxurious trim, even though it's the one without the "Auto" HVAC knob. This gear lever is flanked by eight buttons, most too small to make out, but it's clear that the AWD button is missing, and the ventilated seat icon is now a heated seat icon. There's an electric parking brake switch next to the driver's seat, two cupholders, and the forward surface of the lower cubby holds a 12V outlet and an AUX input. We'll find out what the real thing looks like soon.

2020 Kia Telluride comparison: Specs and pricing versus other 3-row crossovers

The 2020 Kia Telluride is a three-row family crossover that slots into the top spot in Kia's SUV lineup. It does not replace the three-row Sorento — rather, this bigger, more luxurious model is intended for those who need even more space. And that they'll certainly get, because as you'll see below, the Telluride is one of the biggest crossovers on the market. In this comparison of engine specs, dimensions, pricing and photos, we'll take a look at the 2020 Telluride versus the Honda Pilot, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander, the all-new 2020 Ford Explorer, and the Telluride's mechanically related cousin, the equally new 2020 Hyundai Palisade. Of course, those just represent one corner of an iceberg that also includes the Mazda CX-9, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Dodge Durango. Passenger space Like most other entries in the three-row segment, the Telluride offers seven- or eight-passenger capacity. The difference is determined by whether you get second-row captain's chairs. Judging by the Telluride's 55.3 inches of third-row shoulder room, it looks like it won't be quite as spacious with three kids across back there as it would be in the Pilot or Ascent. Two inches can make a big difference in this regard. Third-row legroom is very competitive, however, and if it's indeed just as spacious back there as the Pilot and Ascent, two full-sized adults should be able to fit quite comfortably. Its third-row headroom is also quite good, one of the areas in which the Telluride surpasses its otherwise comparably sized Palisade cousin. If you're wondering about second-row space, there's really nothing outstanding to glean from these specs. As expected for this segment, it's huge, with abundant leg- and headroom. There should be no problem fitting child seats. Cargo space The Telluride would seem to have class-leading space behind its raised third-row seat. If we were to guess, this is the result of its rather boxy tailgate and roofline design. This should also help explain why it has more maximum space than all but the Explorer. Space with the third row lowered is middle of the pack, but when you're talking about vehicles this size, the differences in cubic feet behind the second-row ultimately don't matter much. 2020 Kia Telluride View 46 Photos Performance and Fuel Economy The Kia Telluride has the same powertrain as the Hyundai Palisade, although their tuning and consequent driving experience may differ even if their specs are seemingly the same.