2012 Kia Sx on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Kia Niro EV revealed in Korea

The Kia Niro EV has been introduced at the Busan International Motor Show. The manufacturer says its fully electric Niro compact crossover will go on sale in its home market this year, with global sales starting later. Kia already showed the production Niro EV last month, but at that point no power figures were announced. We know them now, and the 204-horsepower rating, together with a 291 pound-foot figure, match the Hyundai Kona EV. Under the trunk floor is a 64-kWh lithium polymer battery pack, which according to Kia is good for 236 miles on a single charge. A 100kW fast charger will get the battery to 80 percent capacity in 54 minutes. There's also a smaller battery pack available with a 149-mile range from 39.2 kWh. This presumably comes with a cheaper purchase price. Also revealed is the Niro EV interior, which features a different center console and gear selector than the hybrid and plug-in hybrid (much as the Hyundai Ioniq Electric does compared to its part-gasoline siblings). Also different is the special LCD instrument cluster and the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that gets special EV features like charge point location services and a battery pack charge indicator. A mood lighting system is also offered, similarly to the K900 flagship sedan. There's also a driver assist suite, consisting of collision warning systems, adaptive cruise control, "Intelligent Stop & Go" and Lane Following Assist, which Kia calls a Level Two autonomous technology. Like other such systems, it uses the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist systems to control the accelerator, brakes and steering when on a highway. The system functions between 0 and 80 mph. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Kia Niro EV Image Credit: Kia Kia Crossover SUV Electric

Best plug-in hybrid cars, SUVs and minivans for 2024

We’re fans of electric vehicles, but they have their shortcomings. TheyÂ’re not available in as wide of a range of body styles as gas-powered cars, and theyÂ’re still limited by range and charging infrastructure. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) offer a great compromise, though, allowing for all-electric driving, but also having a gas engine for when you need more power or to travel long distances. Choosing a plug-in hybrid vehicle also allows more options; for instance, you canÂ’t get an all-electric minivan in the U.S. Â… yet. But with those extra PHEV offerings, it might be difficult to know where to start shopping. WeÂ’ve narrowed it down a bit, bringing you the best plug-in hybrids for 2024, as voted on by Autoblog staff, in various segments to help you pick a great PHEV based on your budget and needs. Best luxury plug-in hybrid large/midsize SUV: Volvo XC90 Recharge Despite showing its age, the Volvo XC90 remains an excellent three-row crossover in terms of design, comfort and safety, and the XC90 Recharge plug-in hybrid only improves the formula with both power and efficiency. Interestingly, with the gas motor powering the front axle and the e-motor powering the rear, the XC90 Recharge operates as a rear-wheel-drive car when only using electric power, and front-wheel-drive when only using gas. The powertrain is good for 455 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque, with a 5-second 0-60 time. It can travel 32 miles on electricity alone. Runner-up: Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid   Best mainstream plug-in hybrid large/midsize SUV: Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Do you want an American PHEV with style, refinement and off-road capability? The Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe combines all that with a turbocharged 2.0-liter and electric motor good for 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, as well as an electric range of 26 miles. That means you can enjoy your favorite trails in near silence and make fewer trips to the gas pump on the way there. Runner-up: Kia Sorento Plug In-Hybrid   Best luxury plug-in hybrid compact/subcompact SUV: Volvo XC60 Recharge Volvo borrows the formula from the XC90 and places it in a smaller package to get the XC60 Recharge. It has the same 455 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque, but it drops the 0-60 time to 4.5 seconds while offering 35 miles of electric range. You can even pony up for the Polestar Engineered trim to get the Ohlins suspension, Brembo brakes, 21-inch forged wheels and unique styling.

Recharge Wrap-up: Kia Niro caught at Nurburgring, Tesla & Ben & Jerry

The Kia Niro hybrid was spied testing at the Nurburgring. The prototype of the 2016 Niro — which originally appeared as a concept at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show — is heavily camouflaged, so it is hard to tell which exterior features have been carried over. Its plate is registered to a hybrid, but other powertrain details are unavailable (the concept was equipped with a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine and electric drive system good for 158 horsepower). When it goes on sale, positioned below the Soul in Kia's lineup, it will only be available as a hybrid, with a plug-in hybrid version expected in later years. See the video above, and read more at Autoevolution and at Hybrid Cars. A new report from IHS Automotive predicts the EV charger market to surpass 12.7 million units by 2020. In Japan, the number of EV charging stations has surpassed the number of gas stations. The Netherlands, UK and Norway are the leaders in EV chargers in Europe, while Germany and France are slow in their infrastructure growth, relative to their size. CHAdeMO is the more popular charging standard worldwide, but CCS is expected to close the gap. According to the report, PHEVs will become more abundant than BEVs in 2016, and will remain so for a while. Read more at Green Car Congress. Kandi Electric Vehicles has signed a strategic agreement with telecommunications company ZTE Corporation and EV leasing company Zhejiang ZuoZhongYou Electric Vehicle Service (ZZY). The three groups will work together to improve Kandi's "Micro Public Transportation (MPT)" carsharing program. They'll collaborate on promotion, creating a research institute, doing research and development for wireless charging and making their operating system easier to use, among other endeavors. "We are excited to connect Kandi's innovative MPT model with ZTE's cutting-edge technologies," says Kandi Chairman and CEO Hu Xiaoming. "By leveraging ZZY's premium services, our goal is to accelerate MPT's market penetration, maintain our leadership position and achieve greater success in China's booming EV industry." Read more in the press release below. Ben & Jerry's debuted a new ice cream flavor at the Tesla Motors factory in Fremont, CA. Tesla built a special Model S in honor of the event and the new flavor, which is called Save Our Swirled.