1999 Kia Sportage Base Convertible 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Nuclear deal could make Iran next big car market

Iran is a huge and hugely appealing target for Western firms - it's population is nearly the size of Germany's, it is well educated and includes a substantial middle class, and there is a built-in industrial capability. Because of the sanctions that have been in place for nearly five years now over its nuclear program, however, its citizens and domestic industry haven't been able to purchase and expand, so investment opportunities are not only manifold, they are severely undervalued. Most of the auto industry has been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the Iranian game to start. A report in Automotive News says that Iran's two automakers, Iran Khodro and SAIPA - Societe Anonyme Iranienne de Production Automobile - produced one million light vehicles last year for 77.5 million people. According to Wikipedia there were 200 vehicles per 1,000 citizens in 2012, and that was before the industry took a nosedive. That number puts it between Uruguay and Jamaica. Chery, Kia, Peugeot, and Renault were the carmakers with major operations in-country before all but Chery pulled out. In the vacuum, Chery and other Chinese automakers have thrown lots of product at the market, getting 27 models in a range of segments built or supplied there, with results that are probably best described as ambivalent among observers but financially lucrative for the Chinese. Peugeot has re-established ties, and Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Renault, Toyota, and Volkswagen were attendees at the Iran Auto Show last November. The domestic companies say that this time they want local investment that includes technology transfer, so the Western carmakers that do decide to get in will find tougher negotiators than before. Peugeot, for instance, had a 51-49 partnership with Iran Khodro before pulling out; the new agreement is a 50-50 venture. As a 'gift' to the world for a final deal that encourages global investment, Bloomberg says that the price of crude would go down by $15 per barrel. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images Earnings/Financials Government/Legal Kia Peugeot Renault iran sanctions khodro

Kia EV9 wins 2024 World Car of the Year and World Electric Car at New York Auto Show

The Hyundai Group refuses to release its kung-fu grip on winning prestigious vehicle awards, especially those for electric vehicles. In 2020, Kia took the overall World Car of the Year (WCOTY) title with the Telluride, won World Performance Car with the EV6 GT, and won the World Urban Car category with the Kia Soul EV. In 2021, after the Hyundai Group walked away with nothing but a free lunch, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 won the 2022 World Car of the Year laurels, plus World Electric Vehicle and World Car Design of the Year, followed in 2023 by the Hyundai Ioniq 6 winning the same three awards. Kia returns to the top step today, the new EV9 announced at the New York Auto Show as the 2024 World Car of the Year and World Electric Vehicle. Because the South Koreans like to do this in threes, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N won World Performance Car.  One hundred automotive scribes from 29 countries tested 38 vehicles for the main prize. The qualifications for entry are that a car must exceed 10,000 units in production annually, be on sale in at least two major global markets, and be priced below the luxury options in their respective regions. The EV9 beat the BYD Seal and the Volvo EX30 to the WCOTY title. Thirty-two cars vied for honors in the electric category, the EV9 outdoing the BMW i5 and the Volvo EX30. The German and the Swede aren't leaving New York with nothing, however, as the BMW 5 Series and i5 won the World Luxury Car title, and the EX30 won the World Urban Car trophy.  The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N outdid 16 other performance cars. We're sure there are engineers in Germany looking hard into their beer right now, the Ioniq 5 N pipping the M2 and XM to the victory circle.  The surprise of the bunch is the inclusion of the Toyota Prius, the global hybrid icon thrashing 70 other entries to win the 2024 World Car Design of the Year award. The other two finalists? The Ford Bronco and the Ferrari Purosangue. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the Prius. 

Kia teases handsome 2021 Sorento interior with design sketches

True, we've seen the fourth-gen, 2021 Kia Sorento uncovered on a commercial shoot, answering the biggest question we had about one of Kia's bestsellers. On top of that, an Instagram post revealed a couple of low-res interior shots. Kia's carried on with the tease campaign, serving up interior sketches that tell us more about the cabin than the photos. As with with exterior, the revamped passenger space leaves benign curves of the third-gen Sorento behind. Strong horizontal layering is broken up by vertically oriented vents. A 12.3-inch digital cluster lives behind the steering wheel, the screen blending almost seamlessly into a 10.25-inch infotainment display. Another screen for climate control sits dead center on the console, with a few buttons and toggles to improve ease-of-use. A large knurled knob stands atop the center tunnel, it being the rotary shifter that supplants the current gear lever. Behind that, another knurled dial could control the choice of driving modes. That smaller unit is accompanied by a number of buttons for features like auto stop/start, a parking sensor, and the electronic parking brake. The stitched leather upper on the instrument panel should be joined by upgraded fabrics, materials, and finishes throughout. There's also talk of a hidden rear wiper, but we need to wait for the reveal to understand what that's about. The Korean Car Blog happened upon an Excel spreadsheet with engines listed for the crossover internally codenamed MQ4. Globally, the coming Sorento's full complement of powertrain options will cover possibly four four-cylinder gasoline engines, Kia's new R diesels, an eight-speed automatic transmission, a six-speed auto, and — if we can believe our eyes — a four-speed manual. TKCB says the gas engines for the U.S. market should include a 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder, a 2.0-liter turbocharged four, and a 2.5-liter turbo four. Since we know the new Sorento will come in a hybrid flavor, expect the 1.6-liter turbo four this way as well. That seems like a lot of choice, though, what with the current Sorento offering only a 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a 3.3-liter V6. And on the spreadsheet, the eight-speed dual-clutch is only paired with the diesel engine; the gassers get the six-speed auto or the manual. The 2021 Sorento debuts in a little more than two weeks at the Geneva Motor Show on March 3. American audiences could greet it as soon as the New York Auto Show in April.