2014 Kia Forte Koup Ex on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Rimac will help Kia turn the Imagine concept into a high-performance flagship

The segment-bending Imagine concept Kia unveiled at the 2019 Geneva auto show will spawn a high-performance flagship in 2021. Rimac, which Kia and Hyundai jointly invested in, will help bring it to the market. "This car will have a significant effect on how consumers perceive Kia and its part in future electrification. We want it to demonstrate super-high performance levels but in a package that is different," affirmed Carlos Lahoz, the automaker's marketing chief, in an interview with British magazine Autocar. "Super-high performance" isn't a term we've ever used to describe a Kia, even the Stinger doesn't merit this label, so Lahoz's comments sketch an image of a model that breaks all ties with members of the company's current range. Croatia-based Rimac, an expert in making quick electric cars, will play a role in the development process. The extent of Rimac's involvement remains a mystery. Similarly, we don't know how Kia defines the term "super-high performance," and whether it alludes to straight-line speed, Tail of the Dragon-taming handling, or both. Like the Imagine concept (pictured), the production model will arrive as a sedan-crossover cocktail vaguely reminiscent of the short-lived Volvo S60 Cross Country, among other high-riding four-doors. Its front and rear ends will likely be toned down, but Kia stylists have been on a roll in recent years so we expect a head-turning design. As for the 21-screen infotainment system, which Kia labeled a "humorous riposte" to the industry's obsession with in-car displays, we're betting it won't make the leap from the show floor to the showroom floor.  The sheet metal will hide a new platform Kia is developing jointly with Hyundai specifically to underpin electric cars. Autoblog understands it will underpin future Genesis models, too. The architecture will be compatible with an 800-volt electrical system that charges the battery from 20% to 80% in 20 minutes, and Autocar reported the Imagine will offer up to 310 miles of driving range, though odds are that's on the optimistic WLTP testing cycle. Kia's announcement that the Imagine — a name the production version won't wear — will arrive in 2021 suggests it could land on our shores for the 2022 model year. The company hasn't revealed whether it will sell the model in the United States, however. Don't let the idea of a high-horsepower, quasi-luxury electric car from Kia fool you.

Kia confirms Soul EV headed to US, cue the electric hamsters

Kia has been toying with the notion of an electric vehicle for years now. In the two years since the Korean automaker revealed the Ray EV concept, rumors of a battery-powered production vehicle have persisted, evidenced most recently by spy shots showing an electric version of the Soul hatchback this past July. Now Kia has officially announced that the Soul EV is heading for production.
Although Kia has yet to reveal official photos or specifications, this is the first confirmation we've received that the Soul EV is indeed headed for a showroom near you. Set to arrive sometime next year, the Soul EV promises to pack an as-yet unspecified arrangement of electric motors and batteries and visual cues that aim to improve the vehicle's aerodynamics and differentiate it from the conventionally powered Soul.
We'll have to wait until its debut approaches at an undetermined upcoming auto show in the US for more details, but for now you can delve into the official announcement below and scope out those same spy shots in the gallery above.

2014 Kia Optima Hybrid shows its freshened face

Think back to the 2013 New York Auto Show, and you'll recall that the already attractive Kia Optima midsize sedan was re-schnozzed for the 2014 model year. The hybrid version was left alone, visually, though its powertrain was updated to provide more oomph and slightly better fuel economy. And now, the whole thing comes full circle - the fresh-faced 2014 Optima Hybrid is making its debut here at the Chicago Auto Show.
The new look is really the only news here, with a reworked front fascia that combines restyled Hybrid-specific LED lighting elements and new enhancements that Kia says improves aerodynamics. A similar touch-up has been given to the rear end, and new 16- and 17-inch wheel designs are also available.
Under the hood, the Optima Hybrid's powertrain is unchanged, the four-cylinder gasoline-electric system still putting out a combined 199 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy is also unchanged for 2014, with the LX model estimated to achieve 36/40/38 miles per gallon (city/highway/combined), and the higher-grade EX estimated to net 35/39/37 mpg.