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Honda, Hyundai and Kia get best word-of-mouth recommendations in US

Forget advertising, incentives and, yes, even our excellently crafted vehicle reviews, sometimes the best way for automakers to sell cars is still good ol' fashioned word of mouth. In an attempt to measure this "word of mouth" power, The Boston Consulting Group, a management consulting firm, has created a new study called the Brand Advocacy Index (BAI). The index takes a look at how various industries perform from person to person. Those industries include automotive, smartphones, grocery, mobile telecommunications and banking.
The study polled more than 32,000 individuals across Europe and in the US to come up with the top 55 brands in these various industries. On the automotive side of things, the top brands in the US were Honda, Hyundai and Kia, all tied at 63 percent. On a global scale, Volkswagen and Toyota scored the highest with a 65-percent BAI rating (both in France). The average BAI for auto industry players tallied 50 percent.
As for companies in other industries, Apple's iPhone was the index's top-rated smartphone, Trader Joe's was the highest recommended grocery store, Virgin was sat atop the mobile telecom industry and USAA was the top retail bank. Scroll down for the full press release on the new study.

What a strike in Korea could mean for US Hyundai and Kia buyers

A prolonged factory strike at Hyundai-Kia factories in South Korea could mean that US dealership inventory of certain vehicles, such as the South Korea-built Hyundai Accent and Kia Soul, could dry up in the coming months, depending on the length of the strike, reports Cars.com's blog, Kicking Tires. The two brands together rank sixth in US sales and fifth in global sales.
Kicking Tires gives fascinating insight into how a production stoppage in South Korea might affect vehicle sales in the US, considering Hyundai-Kia has two factories in the US that build the Kia Sorento and Optima/Optima Hybrid, and the Hyundai Elantra sedan/coupe/GT, Sonata/Sonata Hybrid and Santa Fe/Santa Fe Sport. The only one of these vehicles that's built solely in the US is the Kia Sorento, with the rest of them sharing production with South Korea.
Be sure to read the piece, especially if you're in the market for a Hyundai or Kia, or just interested in global economics.

Kia debuts the compact Seltos crossover in Delhi

The Kia Seltos has had an unusual gestation, with two concepts, exterior sketches, interior sketches, an effective reveal during a photo shoot, a christening via mythology and more teasers. Even so, since the Kia Seltos small crossover began as last year's SP concept for the Indian market, it's fitting Kia hosted the production model's debut in Delhi. We're still missing a few details, like the look of the production interior and drivetrain options, but we have a bit more to go on. The detailing and materials are what could set the Seltos apart in the segment. The overall lines are familiar, however, Kia designers have worked to make those lines lyric instead of prosaic. The front fascia's been defined by three transverse metallic-look pieces shaping the upper and lower forms. The wide tiger-nose grille gets bracketed by crisp splashes of color with the LED headlights and intricate turn signals. The rear end's creasing, shadow and metallic effects are bounded by LED taillights and more "3D multi-layer indicators." We've seen renderings of the interior and know to expect a 10.25-inch infotainment screen atop the instrument panel. That screen display can be split up to show three infotainment applications at once. Kia says there will be an available eight-inch heads-up display on a glass panel behind the steering wheel. Optional eight-speaker Bose audio can pump tunes that guide the optional Sound Mood Lighting, which uses ambient lighting to create a light show timed to the beat. Indian buyers will have a choice of a 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder with 175 horsepower, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 147 hp, and a 1.6-liter diesel four with 134 hp. Kia didn't specify how the transmission options will be assigned, but the selection includes a seven-speed dual-clutch, a six-speed automatic, and a CVT. A three-mode driving selector offers Eco, Normal, and Sport. The Kia release said "Sport mode increases responses from steering and electric motor to maximize the dynamic driving feel." As there's no mention of hybridization, we wonder if the electric motor refers to the electrically-assisted power steering, or something else. Wheel choices for India start with 16-inch alloys on 205/60 rubber, moving on to 17-inchers on 215/55 rubber, topping out at 18-inch wheels on 235/45 tires. In one of the interior drawings, we noted buttons that appeared to control all-wheel drive, hill descent control, and a locking rear differential.