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Volvo, Kia and BYD duke it out in the finals for World Car of 2024

Three electric vehicles — none produced by an American manufacturer — will compete next month for the title of 2024 World Car of the Year, it was announced Monday. The finalists are the Kia EV9, the Volvo EX30 and the BYD Seal (shown above). The latter two are built in China. The three top finalists in five other categories were also named at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland. The winners in all six categories will be revealed live during an awards ceremony at the New York International Auto Show on March 27. This year marks the 20th year of the World Car Awards and the partnership with the New York show. Besides car of the year, the other finalists are: Electric vehicle: BMW i5, Kia EV9, Volvo EX30; Luxury car: BMW 5 Series/i5, Mercedes Benz E-Class, Mercedes Benz EQE SUV; Performance car: BMW M2, BMW XM, Hyundai Ionia 5 N; Urban car: BYD Dolphin, Lexus LBX, Volvo EX30; World Car Design: Ford Bronco, Ferrari Purosangue, Toyota Prius. Only Ford among U.S. companies has an entry in the final selections, and only in one category, design, for the Bronco. BMW has four vehicles in the finals, Volvo has three, Kia and Mercedes have two each. BYD from China has two entries as well. The Seal went on sale in in its home market in 2022 and is now available in most of the rest of the world. The BYD Co. (which stands for Build Your Dreams) has surpassed Tesla to become the worldÂ’s biggest maker of electric vehicles, and has its sights set on the U.S. The selection process for World Cars involves 100-plus automotive journalists from 29 countries who vote, as they review and test-drive the eligible vehicles for the 2024 awards. Their journey is captured virtually on World Car TV. Design/Style Geneva Motor Show BMW Ferrari Ford Hyundai Kia Lexus Mercedes-Benz Toyota Volvo Best Cars World Car of the Year

Hyundai confirms a shift to EVs, unveils fuel cell SUV

SEOUL — Hyundai confirmed on Thursday it was placing electric vehicles at the center of its product strategy — one that includes plans for a premium long-distance electric car as it seeks to catch up to Tesla and other rivals. Like Toyota, Hyundai had initially championed fuel cell technology as the future of eco-friendly vehicles but has found itself shifting to electric as Tesla shot to prominence and battery-powered cars have gained government backing in China. Hyundai's debut of its more modestly priced Ionic hybrid and electric has been well-received. But the pure electric's per-charge driving range is much shorter than the Tesla Model 3 or Chevrolet Bolt. Toyota is now also working on longer-distance, fast-charging electric vehicles. Hyundai first started signaling this strategic shift back in May when it first discussed plans to launch an electric sedan under its high-end Genesis brand in 2021 with a range of 500 km (310 miles) per charge. It will also introduce an electric version of its Kona small crossover with a range of 390 km in the first half of next year. "We're strengthening our eco-friendly car strategy, centering on electric vehicles," Executive Vice President Lee Kwang-guk told a news conference, calling the technology mainstream and realistic. The automaker and affiliate Kia, which together rank fifth in global vehicle sales, also said they were adding three plug-in vehicles to their plans for eco-friendly cars, bringing the total to 31 models by 2020. Underscoring Hyundai's electric shift, those plans include eight battery-powered and two fuel-cell vehicles — a contrast to its 2014 announcement for 22 models, of which only two were slated to be battery-powered. Hyundai also confirmed a Reuters report that it is developing its first scaleable, dedicated electric vehicle platform, which will allow the company to produce multiple models with longer driving ranges. HYDROGEN SUV Hyundai unveiled a near production version of its new fuel cell SUV with a driving range of more than 580 km per charge, compared with the 415 km for its current Tucson fuel cell SUV. The mid-sized SUV will be launched in Korea early next year, followed by U.S. and European markets. A fuel cell electric bus is slated to be unveiled late this year, while a sedan-type fuel cell car is also planned. Even so, analysts noted that gaining traction with fuel cells was going to be a long hard slog partly due to a lack of charging infrastructure.

2020 Kia Soul gets fuel economy ratings boost

Federal fuel-economy ratings are out for the all-new 2020 Kia Soul and show that the switch to the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine also found in the Forte sedan has turned the boxy compact crossover into more of a fuel-sipper compared to its predecessor. When operated in Eco driving mode, the EPA rates the Soul fitted with the 2.0-liter engine at 35 miles per gallon on the freeway and 29 mpg in the city for a combined 31 mpg. Otherwise, the same model is rated at 27 mpg in the city, 33 on the highway and a combined 30 mpg. Versions fitted with the 1.6-liter turbocharged seven-speed top out at 27/32/29 mpg, while the 2.0-liter offered with a six-speed manual delivers 25/31/27 mpg. The outgoing Soul fitted with the 1.6-liter engine maxed out at 28 mpg combined, while the more powerful outgoing 2.0-liter version was rated at 27 mpg combined. The ratings for the 2020 Soul easily outperform the 2019 Jeep Renegade, another compact crossover, which is rated 22/30/25 mpg in its top configuration, but are short of the 2019 Nissan Kicks, which gets 31/36/33 mpg. Kia is pairing the 2.0-liter engine with its Intelligent Variable Transmission, its version of a CVT, for the 2020 Soul as well as the six-speed manual. It offers 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. The turbocharged 1.6-liter twin-scroll four-cylinder mates with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and offers 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. The standard version of the 1.6-liter makes 130 hp and 118 lb-ft. Still to come, and not yet rated, is the Soul EV, which borrows its electric motor and 64 kWh battery pack from the Niro EV and Hyundai Kona Electric, offering 201 hp and 291 lb-ft of thrust. It's expected to have a driving range of more than 200 miles, accommodate DC fast charging and go on sale sometime later this year. We still don't have pricing for the gas-powered versions, which are set to hit showrooms in the first half of this year.