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Hyundai and Kia set aside $412 million for false mileage claims

We still don't know how the whole fuel economy ratings debacle is going to play out for Hyundai and Kia, but both automakers are preparing to make good on their promises to reimburse vehicle owners for lower-than-promised mileage figures. According to Automotive News, Hyundai and Kia have set aside a combined total of $412 million ($225 million for Hyundai and $187 million for Kia) as compensation, which will be sent out on a case-by-case basis via debit cards depending on the vehicle and the mileage driven.
Announced back in November, the exaggerated miles per gallon claims affect around 900,000 Kia and Hyundai products produced for the 2011 through 2013 model years sold in the US and Canada. This whole deal has had plenty of action ranging from suspected whistleblowing from a rival US automaker and even insider trading, but it has probably been most frustrating for vehicle owners who, in most cases, saw their vehicles' city and highway ratings drop between one and three digits.

New Kia Soul Turbo gets futuristic full-width headlight treatment

When we last saw a prototype of the next-generation Kia Soul, it looked like it wouldn't look all that different from the old one, except for having trendy split headlights. As it turns out, those split headlights are more interesting than we thought. The example of the new compact hatchback shown above reveals that it will have a futuristic-looking full-width headlight treatment, something we haven't really seen since the early Mercury Sable. It's clear from these photos that the full-width lights are not the actual headlights that provide forward illumination. They're just accent lights, but the effect is still impressive. It appears the turn signals are integrated into each end of the big light. The center section also eliminates the old Soul's center grille. Below the lighting unit is an expanded lower grille and large lighting elements on either side. These are real forward-illuminating lights. In the bottom of the lower grille are a pair of foglights much like on the current model. The Soul's profile looks almost unchanged from the current model, leading us to wonder if this is a major update to the existing car, or if it is a new platform that just looks mostly like the old one. The tail end receives some major changes, though. The taillights are now almost completely visible, and although they still run up the rear pillars, they now descend lower and into the hatch area. They appear much more shapely and aren't form fitted to the body. This particular prototype also has a sporty dual exhaust tip in the center. This seems to indicate this is a Kia Soul Turbo model, as does the fact it's parked next to a Hyundai Veloster N. Not much is known about the new Kia Soul. We expect it to be roughly the same size as the current model, and we wouldn't be surprised if Kia offers all-wheel drive to keep it competitive with other tiny crossovers. As for the Kia Soul Turbo, we predict it will use the same turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that the current model and the new Hyundai Veloster Turbo use. We do hope that Kia will offer it with a manual transmission this time around. Related Video:

Kia Stinger GT Atlantica is a deep-blue limited edition

Kia continues its massive marketing push for the brand-new Stinger fastback by announcing a limited-edition "Atlantica" model for 2019. It adds European and Korean badging and other features to the standard U.S. version of the sport sedan. It's based on the Stinger GT2 AWD, which starts at $51,400 and features a 3.3-liter V6 that puts out 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. From there, the Atlantica will get a deep chroma blue metallic paint finish, plus 19-inch alloy wheels borrowed straight from the European version. And instead of the standard Kia badge on the rear, there's a large-font Stinger logo, just like Korean buyers get. Inside is where things get more luxurious, with an exclusive espresso-brown nappa leather and a black "suede-type" headliner. There's also a surround-view monitor, wireless phone charger and heated rear outboard seats. There's a Stinger Atlantica badge on the front center console, plus two flanking both front fenders. Kia says it'll make just 500 examples of the Atlantica and will announce pricing closer to the on-sale date this summer. It's the latest example of the Korean automaker's marketing push for the new Stinger, which it bills as its most performance-focused vehicle yet. In addition to its Super Bowl ad last month starring Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, it's also offering "Stinger Experience" events in nine U.S. cities. There, people can take a Stinger, accompanied by a professional driver, through paces including a 0-60 mph acceleration run, alongside competitors like the Audi A5 and Porsche Panamera. It's also opened non-sales Stinger "salons" in shopping malls in several states. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Kia Stinger GT Atlantica Image Credit: Kia Marketing/Advertising Kia Performance Sedan kia stinger gt kia stinger