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2018 Kia Rio is the only subcompact car to earn IIHS highest safety rating

If you're looking for a new subcompact car, and safety is your priority, there is one clear choice now: the 2018 Kia Rio. The littlest Kia has been awarded the highest safety rating from the IIHS, the Top Safety Pick +, and it is the only car in the subcompact segment to earn the score. In addition, only two other models earn the second highest rating Top Safety Pick, sans plus, the Hyundai Accent and the Mini Cooper. The Rio's rating is an increase from the sans plus version because Kia updated and improved the headlights for the 2018 model. There is a caveat, though. Only the optional LED projector headlights, available as an option on the midlevel S trim, are rated "Good," the highest IIHS rating. The standard halogen headlights are still rated "Poor." The Rio's forward collision prevention system that earned full marks is also only available as standard equipment on the top-level EX trim. Still, even lower-trim Rios with the less capable headlights and no automatic emergency braking boast strong crash test scores. Every test except for the passenger-side small overlap test resulted in Good ratings. The passenger-side small overlap test garnered the second-highest rating of "Acceptable." And on top of that, it's a car that has impressed us every time we've driven it. Related Video:

2014 Kia Sedona rises from the dead, same as it ever was

Don't throw away your car seats just yet, Korean minivan enthusiasts - the Kia Sedona is back on the market. If you recall, Kia killed its minivan offering at the end of 2012 (there was never a 2013 model). But here's what's making us scratch our heads: Despite the fact that Kia did confirm that the Sedona would eventually be back, we were under the impression that it would return with a proper replacement for the aging van. (Earlier reports suggested something along the lines of that cool KV7 concept.) Instead, the reincarnated Korean minivan you see here is, well, the same as it ever was. Consider our buzz killed.
That's not to say there haven't been a couple of delightfully refreshed bits thrown into the new package. For starters, the Sedona wears a slightly updated schnoz with a redesigned grille, LED positioning lamps and standard foglamps inside the reworked lower fascia. (If we're honest, the Kia looks a bit Ford Windstar-ish from the front three-quarter angle.) There's a new 17-inch wheel design for the 2014 model year, and aside from a couple enhancements to the interior in terms of storage, that short list rounds out the full extent of the new updates.
All Sedonas are powered by the same 3.5-liter V6 that debuted in the 2011 model, producing 269 horsepower and 246 pound-feet of torque, mated exclusively to a six-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy ratings fall in at a rather mediocre 17/24 miles per gallon (city/highway).

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.