2014 Kia Sportage Lx on 2040-cars

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Kia Venga puts a fresh face on mini minivans

Minivans in America have grown to become anything but mini. That's not the case overseas, however, where Ford offers the B-Max, Citroen the C3 Picasso and Kia the Venga. On the European market now since 2009, the Venga shares its underpinnings with the Soul and with the Hyundai i20. The shape which Peter Schreyer sketched for it won a prestigious iF Design Award upon its debut, but five years later, it was time for a bit of a refresh. Debuting alongside the updated Rio at the Paris Motor Show, the new Venga has received some updated sheetmetal, an upgraded cabin and enhanced equipment – all the better for transporting a (small) family around some European metropolis, where the streets are narrow and the parking even tighter.

Kia wants 11 green cars by 2020

Kia will invest $10.2 billion in an effort to become a more environmentally friendly automaker over the next five years, and the recently teased Niro hybrid crossover will be just the tip of the iceberg. The Korean automaker wants to more than double its green car lineup by 2020 to 11 models from the current four with plans for new hybrids, PHEVS, EVs, and even a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. This green rollout will start with an Optima PHEV (the 2014 hybrid variant is shown above) with a lithium-polymer battery and will continue with the Niro CUV. Spy shots also suggest both Hyundai and Kia have other dedicated hybrids under development, and rumors hint at their arrival in showrooms in 2017. "Global market demand is shifting to electric vehicles, with oil prices predicted to rise in future," Ki-Sang Lee, the senior vice president at Kia's Eco Friendly Vehicle R&D Center, said in the investment's announcement. Kia is already familiar with fuel-cell tech thanks to public testing in 2009, but the automaker really wants to push development with a mass-produced model in 2020. The new FCEV would use a 15- percent lighter and five-percent more efficient stack versus current units, and the setup would offer an estimated range of over 497 miles. The company hopes to build 1,000 of these vehicles annually at first. The automaker's green plan will also aim to boost the brand's average fuel economy by 25 percent from 2014 levels. To make that happen, Kia will replace seven of its 10 engine families and will cut the weight of future vehicles by five percent. The next-gen models will use more efficient transmissions too. KIA MAPS OUT FIVE-YEAR AMBITION FOR GREEN CAR LEADERSHIP Green car line-up expected to grow from four to 11 models by 2020 Kia targeting hydrogen fuel cell vehicle production within five years Kia aiming to improve average fuel efficiency by 25% over 2014 levels Roadmap for low emission cars includes clean combustion, hybrid- and pure- electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cells 70% of current engine range set to be replaced by more efficient units Kia Motors today announced its mid- to long-term plans for the development of a greatly increased range of environmentally friendly vehicles. The brand's 'green car roadmap' sets out Kia's ambition to become a leader in the low emissions car market by 2020.

2024 NY Auto Show, the new Mercedes G and a possible Xterra revival | Autoblog Podcast #825

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Byron Hurd, who joins us fresh from the floor at the 2024 New York Auto Show. They start with an overview of the show and this year's big debuts, then pivot to other news for talk of the 2025 Mercedes G-Class unveiling. After that, they touch on the potential for a Toyota FJ Cruiser revival, which then leads them to an Autoblog scoop from Nissan: a new Xterra is apparently on the table. They wrap up news with an overview of this year's Easter Jeep Safari concepts. From that, it's on to what they've been driving. Greg has spent some time in the Genesis G70, while Byron shares his thoughts from his first few weeks behind the wheel of the Autoblog long-term Subaru WRX.  Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #825 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown New York Auto Show Other News 2025 Mercedes G-Class FJ Cruiser Returning? Xterra Returning? 2024 Easter Jeep Safari What We're Driving Long-Term WRX Genesis G70 Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Podcasts New York Auto Show Genesis Hyundai Infiniti Kia Mercedes-Benz Nissan Subaru Volvo Truck Crossover Hatchback SUV Wagon Concept Cars Electric Future Vehicles Luxury Performance Sedan