2012 Kia Optima Ex on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Minivans and hybrids shopped by men and women equally

Men love fast, exotic cars, and women want something safe and practical – at least that is the way conventional thinking goes. But a new study challenges these old beliefs. According to the auto information aggregators at iSeeCars, both sexes shop for minivans and hybrids equally. The study also dug deeper into the different browsing habits between genders. For instance, women are twice as likely to shop for Kia and 67 percent more likely to shop for Hyundai. Men are seven percent more likely to buy American cars. Both sexes shop the German brands equally. It seems that men might be slightly greener in their shopping because they are twice as likely to browse electric cars and two and a half times more likely to look at diesels. Still, the old stereotype of men wanting a more performance-oriented car is not entirely false. They also are more likely to look at cars that cost over $45,000, and men are still more likely to buy a sports car. "Men like fast, flashy cars. They are performance oriented, even if they have to shell out more money," Phong Ly, cofounder and CEO of iSeeCars, said in an interview with CBS MoneyWatch. "Women are looking for the best value." The iSeeCars study got its data directly from dealers and online sellers like eBay Motors, then determined sex based on first name and excluded gender-neutral names. What it shows is that even if men might like browsing for fast cars, practicality and economy win out in the end. It's still fun to look, though. News Source: iSeeCars via CBS News MoneyWatchImage Credit: Shutterstock / Deklofenak Hyundai Kia Car Buying Minivan/Van Electric Hybrid

NHTSA, IIHS, and 20 automakers to make auto braking standard by 2022

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and virtually every automaker in the US domestic market have announced a pact to make automatic emergency braking standard by 2022. Here's the full rundown of companies involved: BMW, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo (not to mention the brands that fall under each automaker's respective umbrella). Like we reported yesterday, AEB will be as ubiquitous in the future as traction and stability control are today. But the thing to note here is that this is not a governmental mandate. It's truly an agreement between automakers and the government, a fact that NHTSA claims will lead to widespread adoption three years sooner than a formal rule. That fact in itself should prevent up to 28,000 crashes and 12,000 injuries. The agreement will come into effect in two waves. For the majority of vehicles on the road – those with gross vehicle weights below 8,500 pounds – AEB will need to be standard equipment by September 1, 2022. Vehicles between 8,501 and 10,000 pounds will have an extra three years to offer AEB. "It's an exciting time for vehicle safety. By proactively making emergency braking systems standard equipment on their vehicles, these 20 automakers will help prevent thousands of crashes and save lives," said Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said in an official statement. "It's a win for safety and a win for consumers." Read on for the official press release from NHTSA. Related Video: U.S. DOT and IIHS announce historic commitment of 20 automakers to make automatic emergency braking standard on new vehicles McLEAN, Va. – The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced today a historic commitment by 20 automakers representing more than 99 percent of the U.S. auto market to make automatic emergency braking a standard feature on virtually all new cars no later than NHTSA's 2022 reporting year, which begins Sept 1, 2022. Automakers making the commitment are Audi, BMW, FCA US LLC, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Tesla Motors Inc., Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo Car USA.

Hyundai, Kia consider body-on-frame SUVs aimed at Tahoe and Expedition

Hyundai and Kia are open to expanding their presence in the SUV segment by each releasing a body-on-frame SUV. Both models will be marketed as alternatives to the Chevrolet Tahoe and the Ford Expedition. "From a brand perspective, obviously that is thinkable. Now, whether it makes sense, and in what region, and with what particular concept remains to be seen," said Lorenz Glaab, Hyundai's head of global product management, in an interview with Australia's CarSales. "Nothing can be excluded. There is some dynamism in that segment you just described, and we are very much aware of that. We monitor it closely," he added. Hyundai and Kia sell the Palisade and the Telluride, respectively. Both are rather large, reasonably spacious, and relatively powerful, but they can't compete against body-on-fame SUVs like the Tahoe, the Expedition, and the Toyota Land Cruiser, among others. They feature unibody construction, so they're not as capable off-road. While neither firm has suitable underpinnings to build an SUV on, CarSales believes both new models will ride on a modular frame being developed internally, in part to underpin a pickup about as big as the Ford Ranger. Kia officials requested a bigger, more rugged SUV earlier in 2020. Damien Meredith, the chief operating officer of the firm's Australian division, said he wants "one or two bigger SUVs." He also confirmed Kia will launch a Ranger-baiting pickup, which lends credibility to the claim that the platform will also be used to underpin an SUV. Powertrain specifications are still up in the air. Rear-wheel drive will presumably come standard, and four-wheel drive will be either offered at an extra cost, or made standard on some variants. CarSales speculates a two-speed transfer case could be available, and it added the 3.0-liter turbodiesel straight-six developed for the Genesis GV80 will be the base engine in some global markets. It's reasonable to assume a hybrid option will appear, too. If the report is accurate, both SUVs could land in 2023, meaning they might be labeled 2024 models in the United States. They'd also be sold in Australia, where motorists have a healthy appetite for off-roaders, in the Middle East, where the Land Cruiser and the Nissan Armada reign supreme, and in Russia. Interestingly, posh spin-off Genesis could receive its own version of the SUV, much like Lexus gets a specific variant of the Land Cruiser. Deja vu?