2011 Kia Forte Koup on 2040-cars

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Limited-edition Kia Stinger GTS gets all-wheel drive with a drift mode

The Kia Stinger is currently available with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, each with fairly distinct characters. With the limited-edition Stinger GTS, Kia wants to blend the best parts of each and create a third option for buyers: Drift Mode. Although the GTS will still be available as RWD or AWD, the all-wheel setup is focal point of the new limited-edition model. Revised to integrate "rear-wheel DNA," the new D-AWD system features a mechanical limited-slip rear differential for improved traction and power distribution. Kia also says the control logic has been tuned with a new transmission shift pattern, improved stability control, better slip control, and countersteer detection. The D-AWD-equipped Stinger GTS will have three different driving modes: comfort, sport, and drift. Comfort mode sends 60 percent of power to the rear, sport mode sends 80 percent to the rear, and drift mode gives the rear wheels 100 percent control. Drift mode will also hold gears to maintain power. No powertrain alterations will be made, as the GTS will get the 365-horsepower twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6 that pairs with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The rest of the changes aim to make the GTS feel slightly aftermarket. It gets an exclusive Federation Orange paint job, a Stinger emblem on the rear, and a rear GTS badge. Kia also gave the GTS real carbon fiber on the hood, side mirror caps, and side vents. Inside, the GTS is equipped with a Chamude headliner, an Alcantara steering wheel and center console, a wireless smartphone charger, a 720-watt Harmon/Kardon sound system, and a sunroof. Kia plans to start production of the GTS this spring and is limiting the run to 800 units. The RWD model starts at $44,995, and the AWD model starts at $47,495. Featured Gallery 2020 Kia Stinger GTS: New York 2019 View 14 Photos Related Gallery Kia Stinger GTS View 16 Photos News Source: KiaImage Credit: Live photos copyright 2019 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com New York Auto Show Kia Hatchback Performance Sedan 2019 new york auto show drift mode

Kia Cadenza preparing new look for 2016

It may have only been on the North American market for a few short years, but the Kia Cadenza is a fairly old warhorse, having hit global markets back in 2010. Considering that, it seems aptly timed for Kia to be testing a redesign of its second largest sedan. Our spies expect the new Cadenza to arrive in 2016 pioneering a new design language for the South Korean brand, which will also be featured on the new Optima. Based on the Kia Sportspace that's making its auto show debut at tomorrow's 2015 Geneva Motor Show, we should expect something more aggressive than the relatively benign sheetmetal of the current Cadenza. That said, it's difficult to pick out the Sportspace-inspired details in the attached spy photos. Kia's designers look to have retained the basic greenhouse shape of the current car, although the styling from the firewall forward and from the C-pillar back is too heavily camouflaged to really pick out anything more than the new headlights, quad foglights, the un-Sportspace-like grille and taillights. Check out our gallery of spy photos, and let us know what you think. Related Video:

Kia argues the coronavirus pandemic will leave a mark on car design

Shared and connected, the toaster-shaped concepts paraded in front of CES attendees each year look like rolling germ incubators in a year marred by a global pandemic. Digitally hitching a ride with four or five perfect strangers suddenly seems like a good way to get sick, and one of Kia's top executives argued that, in the coming years, automakers will need to rethink the way they design car interiors to address the public's lingering fears. "We're going to have talks with psychologists and anthropologists to really understand how the public's psyche is going to be in the future. There are things we've already been talking about: Can we have anti-viral coatings in our interiors? Can you use temperature or ultraviolet light to sanitize surfaces? These are things we will have to talk about rather soon," affirmed Karim Habib, Kia's design chief, during an interview with British magazine Car. He brought up the possibility of developing new, germ-repellent materials Kia could use to manufacture door handles, gear selectors, steering wheels, and other common touch points. And, he called into question the various car-sharing programs some companies have poured millions of dollars into in recent years. "What does this mean for cars? I think we'll have to wait and see. Right now, we are trying to expand our understanding of what this might mean, not only for the types of vehicles we drive, but also how to design vehicles for shared mobility, or not, as the case may be," he explained. Sister company Hyundai is trying to answer the same questions. It's experimenting with ways to beam ultraviolet rays from the dome light to kill viruses in car interiors. COVID-19 comes to mind, but this technology can -- in theory -- zap other infectious agents. The issue, as we reported, is that UV light harms human skin, so it would only have to be blasted into the cabin when no one is in the car. There's no word on when Hyundai will put this technology in a car, or whether it will reach production, but it's already used globally in the medical sector. Ford is taking a different approach to killing germs. It released software that bakes viruses by heating the cabin to about 133 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. This feature is only available on the Explorer-based Police Interceptor Utility as of writing, though the company plans to add it to other models sooner or later. "So, yes: COVID-19 will very much influence the way we design our cars in the future," Habib concluded. Kia