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Kia unveils K4 sedan concept in China

Among the dozens of foreign automakers eager to showcase their wares to the Chinese market, Kia arrived at the Beijing Motor Show with the new K4. Though technically categorized as a "concept," the K4 previews a sedan which Kia intends to launch in China later this year.
The K4 is a midsize sedan measuring 186 inches long and riding on a 106-inch wheelbase that makes it bigger than the Forte (sold in the Far East as the K3) and just a few inches shorter than the Optima (aka K5). The form is draped in familiar Kia-style bodywork, with a high trunk and low nose to give it a wedge shape and a familiar if somewhat new take on the headlights and grille seen on other new models from the Korean automaker.
Power comes from a 1.6-liter turbo four (smaller than the engines available in the Optima/K5) mated to a seven-speed DCT. Kia has also fitted the K4 concept with push-button ignition, UVO infotainment system, rear-view camera, six airbags and stability management. In short, everything you'd expect from the latest product of a global automaker.

Kia teaming up with DUB to bring modified Stinger GT and K900 to SEMA

SEMA kicks off this week, so continue to look for all manner of modified cars, trucks and SUVs. For years, SEMA was ruled by aftermarket companies — it isn't called the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association for nothing — but in recent years, the automakers themselves have used the show as an opportunity to showcase a variety of fun but often garish modified vehicles. This year, Kia is bringing a pair of cars that appear to fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. All we have right now are a few teaser images of a bright blue Kia K900 and a silver over red and black Kia Stinger GT. Kia has teamed with DUB, one of the most famous aftermarket outfitters in the business, to design the vehicles. The K900 has been updated with gloss black accents, 24-inch wheels, a blue and black interior, air suspension and a "specially developed multimedia setup." We'll be disappointed if that doesn't mean TVs in the headrests. The Stinger GT will have 22-inch wheels, a custom intake and exhaust, air suspension and a redone interior. We won't have any other details until the cars are fully revealed at Kia's press conference, but stay tuned to the site this week for more SEMA coverage from Kia and other automakers and suppliers. Related Video: Featured Gallery DUB 2019 Kia Stinger GT: SEMA 2018 View 11 Photos Related Gallery DUB 2019 Kia K900: SEMA 2018 View 9 Photos Related Gallery Kia SEMA 2018 News Source: KiaImage Credit: Live photos copyright 2018 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Aftermarket Design/Style SEMA Show Kia Sedan kia k900 kia stinger gt kia stinger

2018 Kia Niro PHEV Review | More MPG than an SUV, less weird than a hybrid

PORTLAND, Ore. — It seems like such a no-brainer. The 2018 Kia Niro PHEV has the body of a little SUV, which is just the thing that everyone, their mother, brother, and friend named Phil are clamoring for at the moment. The rest of the plug-in hybrid segment is dominated by slug-shaped eco mobiles that ape the Toyota Prius or that are literally a Toyota Prius. Personally, I don't want to drive a slug. I also don't want to deal with weird interior controls, weirder interior design or four-person back seats. The Niro is very normal by comparison. Get in, press start, slide completely normal PRNDL shifter into D, and go. Better still, the PHEV doesn't suffer from the laggardly throttle response of the regular hybrid Niro that hampers drivability and makes its EPA-estimated 49 mpg combined a bit of a mirage. You'll either get that mpg and live with an accelerator pedal seemingly unattached to the powertrain, or slot the shifter into Sport and live with fuel economy in the low 40's. That's far superior to the 20-something you'd get in comparably sized SUVs, but still short of the 50-something-mpg in the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight or the Niro's mechanically related Hyundai Ioniq cousin. Compared to a typical, disconnected-feeling PHEV throttle, the Niro PHEV's throttle is perfectly normal, leaving Sport to those moments when you want a little extra zest from your plug-in hybrid (such a moment never seemed to arise). One can assume this is due to the larger battery that allows for greater electric input even when the plug-in battery range is depleted. When filled to the brim, it offers an EPA-estimated all-electric range of 26 miles, a figure I bettered by 1 mile during my evaluation route. That's nearly half of what you can get out of a Chevy Volt or Honda Clarity PHEV, but is similar to the Toyota Prius Prime and Ioniq PHEV. And really, how much you drive in all-electric mode makes the biggest difference. If your daily commute is in the 20-mile range, it doesn't really matter which of the above-mentioned plug-ins you choose. If it's more, though, the others will make more sense. The Volt and Clarity can run on electricity longer, and the Prius Prime and Ioniq are more efficient once their plug-in range is depleted. In the end, though, isn't this really just splitting hairs?