2010 Ex Used 2l I4 16v Automatic Front Wheel Drive Coupe on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Kia's Intelligent Manual Transmission — here's how iMT and clutch-by-wire works

When Kia introduced the facelifted Rio for Europe a few weeks ago, the press release briefly touted a clutch-by-wire six-speed manual transmission that would improve gas mileage and reduce CO2 emissions. A new press release provides details on the Intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT), which we find a surprising avenue of innovation designed just for mild hybrids. Traditional and dual-clutch automatic transmissions, thanks in part to more gears and programmed repeatability, already perform better than human drivers shifting for themselves in metrics including gas mileage. Kia's head of powertrain in Europe said the automaker developed the manual just because "European drivers in particular still love changing gear for themselves." With the pressure on budgets and on standard gearboxes even before the current travails, this seems a benevolent gesture. The traditional linkage from clutch pedal to gearbox goes AWOL in the iMT, sensors on the pedal lever controlling clutch actuation electronically. And an iMT-equipped Kia can take over control of the driveline even when the vehicle is in gear. For example, when a driver takes his foot off the accelerator as he approaches a stoplight, the iMT tells the mild hybrid system to turn off the engine, as it disengages the clutch. Normally, many drivers use coasting in gear in this situation as a way to slow the car without pressing the brake pedal. Kia's system has "the open clutch limiting deceleration and allowing the car to make the most of its kinetic energy," which will mean rethinking one of the finer points of transmission use. If the driver presses the accelerator or brake during the coast, the integrated starter-generator (ISG) restarts the engine. Assuming speed hasn't dipped too low for the chosen gear, the iMT engages the clutch and the driver resumes in the gear the Kia was left in. The hybrid system supplies a boost to get engine revs back up to speed in order to avoid bogging. If vehicle speed is too low to avoid bogging in the current gear, the iMT will disengage the clutch so the car effectively restarts in neutral while in gear, and the driver adjusts.

Kia's Imagine concept is a high-riding, electric sedan

Kia released teaser images of its Geneva-bound concept car late last month. The one detail that stayed with us the most was the fact that the futuristic dashboard consisted of 21 small screens side by side. Kia was in on the joke, calling it a "humorous riposte" to the industry's obsession with implementing screens. But the rest of the concept car, shown today, is no joke. The ' Imagine by Kia' concept is a swoopily shaped, somewhat muscular, high-riding, all-electric sedan with suicide doors, which might or might not introduce some interesting new design themes for future Kias. There's a new logo, which is far more stylish than the existing one, and the front features a LED DRL arrangement that frames the headlights like the car wore stylish glasses. It's a bit like the Saab 9-5 "Dame Edna" facelift, but far better realized, and the "Tiger Mask" Kia front end treatment has been developed further. The roof and the windscreen are a single piece of glass, in the style of the Tesla Model 3, and the Imagine also features a frunk in addition to the trunk. But the concept is far taller than the Model 3 and more aggressively shaped, riding on 22-inch alloy wheels with acrylic glass inserts and with bespoke Goodyear tires and featuring sharp strakes on the curvy bodywork. The paintwork is said to consist of six hand-applied layers of chrome-effect paint with a bronze tint on top. And about those tires: they themselves are a Goodyear concept, called IntelliGrip, which means they detect and convey road conditions to the car and driver and adjust handling attributes accordingly. Related Video:

2021 Kia Telluride Cargo Area Driveway Test | The cavernous Kia

The 2021 Kia Telluride, which company reps have taken to calling the "Sell-uride" due to its incredible popularity, is one of our favorite three-row crossovers. The Telluride may have been named for a mountain town in Colorado, but one of the key features of a large crossover is its cargo area, which in this case has more in common with another geographical feature. With the second- and third-row seats folded flat, the Telluride's cargo space is positively cavernous.  That said, it's not actually the best stuff-hauler in the segment. That nod goes to GM's three-rows, as we've demonstrated previously, followed by the Volkswagen Atlas. But not being the best doesn't automatically make something bad, and the fact of the matter is that any of these large utility vehicles can accommodate quite a bit of cargo when called upon to do so. Normally, we illustrate this with a luggage test, but since I live alone and travel light, I'm ill-equipped to replicate Autoblog's usual formula. Fortunately for you, dear reader (but definitely not for me), I've had to relocate several times over the past few years, and in the process I've amassed quite the collection of U-Haul boxes. For some more conventional context, I also grabbed a hard-sided cooler (approximately 19 1/2" x 11" x 14") and my carry-on half-duffle (24" x 11" x 9"), the latter packed with some clothes to give it some structure for the purposes of this test. U-Haul's medium-sized moving boxes are conveniently (almost) cube-shaped at 18 1/8" x 18" x 16" (L x W x H), checking in at 3 cubic feet each per the company's description. That's a great figure to have on hand for this test, as it translates nicely to manufacturer specs. Kia says the Telluride has 21 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 46 behind the second and a whopping 87 cubes with everything behind the first row folded flat. That should translate to seven U-Haul boxes behind the third row, 15 behind the second and 29 with everything stowed, right? Well, as often happens, reality dictates otherwise, and we had to throw the whole hypothesis out the window after putting just one box behind the Telluride's third row. While it appears at first glance that at least one box will fit back here since it sits entirely in front of the liftgate sill, we can plainly see that the interior trim on the hatch protrudes too far into the cargo area for it to close.  Seven boxes behind the third row?