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2018 Kia Stinger GT Long-Term Update | Shake, rattle and roll

I look forward to the Detroit Auto Show almost every year. I moved out west, so traveling back for the show offers me a chance to visit the place I grew up, to see what some automakers are bringing to the roads in the upcoming year and to drive some of the long-termers that call our Birmingham office home. This year, that meant our sporty fastback, the Kia Stinger GT. As a senior video producer, I don't pack lightly. There's tons of photo and video equipment to haul around in addition to my luggage. Although the Stinger's hatchback cargo area has plenty of space, I still needed the back seat, which isn't as spacious as I expected for such a large car. Confirming that, when I offered to drive my family around, they took one look at the back seat and instead chose to sit in the third row of their Buick. Our Stinger is also shockingly red. The exterior is a gorgeous shade named HiChroma Red, but the interior's Nappa leather is red, too. This is a bit much for me and apparently I'm not alone since this combo is no longer available for 2019. After getting over the color, though, I found the interior to be quite comfortable. Both the front seats and steering wheel are heated, which is a blessing in frigid January Michigan weather. My only gripe is that, even on freshly paved Michigan roads, the rear window tends to rattle. Speaking of unwanted noises, after only 10,000 miles, the Stinger has a creak in the front passenger side door that can only be described as painful. I had been warned ahead of time by Associate Editor Reese Counts, but I was still taken aback by how bad it is. Expect an update on a potential remedy to that soon. The roads in western Michigan look nothing like those on the state's east side, with twisty, modestly hilly roads in favor of the flat, grid-like structures typical of Metro Detroit and other eastern cities. This made driving the Stinger a real treat. Its 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque is refreshing, and the eight-speed automatic disappears into the background, almost unnoticeable, which is the way I prefer automatic transmissions to perform. The Stinger's 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 sounds quite good, too. Starting it up every morning put a smile on my face. A price of $46,620 may seem like a lot to pay for a Kia, but the Stinger feels worth it. That said, the MSRP isn't the only high cost associated with this car.

S. Korea to raise concerns about EV credits, battery sourcing in U.S. visit

SEOUL — South Korean officials will meet U.S. counterparts this week to express "concerns" about the Inflation Reduction Act, which restricts who can receive U.S. subsidies for the production of electric vehicles and where firms can source battery materials. President Joe Biden signed into law this month a $430 billion bill, seen as the biggest climate package in U.S. history. The law requires that EVs be assembled in North America to qualify for tax credits, ending subsidies for several EV models, and that a percentage of critical minerals used in batteries come from the United States or an American free-trade partner. Automakers like Hyundai Motor face short-term competitive disadvantage to manufacturers of EVs that receive tax credits in the United States, while industry sources said Korean battery makers must make changes to mineral sourcing routes, which could affect cost adversely. South Korean officials are expected to tell counterparts from the U.S. Trade Representative's office and the U.S. Treasury that the new law may violate trade norms such as the U.S.-South Korea free trade agreement and the WTO agreement, the industry ministry said. Korean automakers will consider adjusting production plans to prioritize the construction of U.S. plants for example, the ministry said, while battery makers will seek to diversify where they source minerals from. Under new rules to kick in next year, at least 40% of the monetary value of the critical minerals in batteries will need to come from the United States or an American free-trade partner, with that proportion rising to 80% by 2027. Globally, the treatment of some 58% of lithium, 64% of cobalt and 70% of graphite goes through China, according to ministry data. FALLOUT The new rules are a major complication for battery makers LG Energy Solution (LGES), SK On and Samsung SDI, battery industry sources said. South Korea's LGES supplies Tesla and General Motors, while SK On and Samsung SDI supply Ford Motor and Volkswagen among others. The three battery makers together command more than a quarter of the global EV battery market, according to SNE Research. "It's become a huge headache ... Automaker clients said they didn't expect this new law would take effect this soon," said a South Korean battery industry source.

Driverless cars from Kia hit the road in Nevada

Drivers in Nevada might soon spot a Kia Soul EV that pilots itself because the South Korean brand is the latest automaker to get authorization from the state to test autonomous vehicles on public roads. Kia's development of driverless tech is part of the company's $2 billion investment with Hyundai through 2018 to help bring some of these systems to production models. Rather than handing complete control to the computers immediately, Kia first plans to introduce partially driverless features on models by 2020. Its engineers intend to test technology like Traffic Jam Assist, Highway Autonomous Driving, Urban Autonomous Driving, an Emergency Stop System, and Autonomous Valet Parking on Nevada's roads. Kia doesn't foresee a fully piloted model on sale until 2030 and believes innovations in vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications are necessary to make that possible. Nevada has been a vital site for autonomous technology development since the state passed a law to allow testing on public roads. Google was among the earliest to get a permit, and Audi also quickly jumped on board. Freightliner was first to expand the authorization to commercial vehicles with its license for the Inspiration semi truck earlier this year. We're sure more will follow in short order. Related Video: Kia Motors granted Nevada autonomous driving license - US state of Nevada grants Korean manufacturer permission to test autonomous driving technologies on public roads - Soul EV's Advanced Driver Assistance Systems tested in Beatty, Nevada - US$2 billion investment by 2018 to develop autonomous vehicle technology - Kia to introduce partially-autonomous driving technologies by 2020, with arrival of fully-autonomous vehicles targeted for 2030 (SEOUL) December 14, 2015 – Kia Motors has been granted a licence by the US state of Nevada to carry out testing of its autonomous driving technologies on public roads for the first time. Kia – together with sister company Hyundai – hopes to experiment with partially- and fully- autonomous driving technologies in real-world conditions, an important part of its roadmap for autonomous driving. Kia plans to introduce a range of partially-autonomous driving technologies to its model line- up including eco-friendly vehicles by 2020, and is aiming to bring its first fully-autonomous car to market by 2030.