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Kia teases Geneva concept, is a Nissan Juke rival in the cards?

These four photos tell us most about the pomegranate-red concept Kia will be bringing to this year's 2013 Geneva Motor Show. An accompanying 66-word press release gives away nothing, so we're left to wonder if this is some kind of Nissan Juke rival that the South Korean company is toying with.
Even with the exaggerated dimensions of concept cars, this unnamed "urban concept car" looks somewhat larger than the average subcompact hatch, and there are some seriously Juke-ish lines around the rear three-quarter. This concept, however, appears to be a two-door model, unlike the Juke with its hidden rear handles, but that doesn't mean a production model couldn't add a couple of entry points.
We'll know for sure in March. You'll have to make the four high-res photos and those 66 words in the release below last until then.

2019 Kia Forte revealed | Bigger interior, Stinger-ish styling and 35 mpg

Even though it was updated for the 2017 model year, Kia has decided the time is right to completely redesign the Forte compact sedan. And the end result is a generally handsome car that looks more exciting in some ways, but less so in others. The front of the car is easily the highlight. It pulls from the sensational Stinger for its angrier headlights with aggressive "X" motifs, along with big side intakes and a more shapely grille. The lower grille is very wide and looks menacing in black. Some added creases to the hood and fenders also provide a muscular look absent on the rounded current model. What's disappointing is that the Forte's sides are rather boring. The only visual interest in the slab flanks are the soft shoulder line under the windows, and a crease at the bottom. Even the window line is a simple straight line, unlike the line on the current model that plunges low at the front and sweeps up to the back. Fortunately the tail brings back a modicum of style with nicely detailed lights, complete with a full-width section, and a nicely flared out rear bumper. The new Forte is also a bit larger than the old model. It's 3.2 inches longer, and 0.7 inch wider. Kia says this provides the Forte with more passenger space and cargo space. Specifically, the trunk is 15.1 cubic feet, which is 0.2 cubic foot larger than the current model. Kia hasn't announced whether a hatchback will be offered with this new generation. Besides the extra space, the Forte's interior is much more attractive than the monochrome cocoon of the current model. It has more contrast in materials and colors, and a trim, wide-looking dashboard. It also features a standard 8-inch touch screen infotainment system. Wireless charging, a 320-watt Harman Kardon sound system, and some additional driver aids will be available as options. Kia has only revealed one engine for the new Forte. It's a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder, now featuring a cooled exhaust-gas recirculation system. It makes the same 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque as the current Atkinson-cycle model, but Kia is expecting it to get notably better fuel economy. The final numbers have yet to be revealed, but Kia is targeting 35 mpg combined. For reference, the current Forte economy king is the automatic-equipped Atkinson-cycle car that gets 32 mpg combined, along with 29 mpg city and 37 on the highway.

Hyundai, Kia, Genesis and Subaru clean up in IIHS 2018 safety ratings

Hyundai, its partner Kia and its Genesis division are the big winners in the latest vehicle safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, accounting for six of the 15 models that earned the Top Safety Pick+ awards for 2018. Subaru was right behind with four, Mercedes-Benz had two, and Toyota, BMW and Ford each had one. Another 47 vehicles earned the Top Safety Pick designation, where Toyota had 10 vehicle models, with Hyundai recognized for nine models. All but one of the seven vehicles in Subaru's lineup, the BRZ, qualified for one of the awards. IIHS strengthened the criteria for the Top Safety Pick+ award for 2018 to require headlights to earn a "good" rating — an "acceptable" rating was previously enough to notch the "plus" award — and good or acceptable passenger-side protection in the small overlap front crash, which replicates a crash involving just the front corner of a vehicle. It also required vehicles to have acceptable or good headlights for the first time to earn a Top Safety Pick award. Most of winners for both awards qualified on the basis of optional upgrades. IIHS in October began evaluating the passenger side of vehicles in its small overlap front crash test after it said it became clear that automakers were neglecting that side of the vehicle as they focused on improving driver-side protections. IIHS first began conducting driver-side small overlap crashes in 2012. It began measuring both how well low and high beams illuminated the road and the amount of glare they produce for oncoming vehicles as part of its ratings in 2016. The Top Safety Pick+ winners are listed below. The list doesn't include any minivans, pickups or minicars, which don't appear on either list of awardees. Small cars Kia Forte Kia Soul Subaru Impreza (sedan and wagon) Subaru WRX Midsize cars Subaru Legacy Subaru Outback Toyota Camry Large luxury cars BMW 5 series Genesis G80 Genesis G90 Lincoln Continental Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan Midsize SUVs Hyundai Santa Fe Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Midsize luxury SUV Mercedes-Benz GLC The full list of Top Safety Pick winners is available here.Related Video: Image Credit: IIHS BMW Genesis Hyundai Kia Lincoln Subaru Toyota Safety Crossover SUV Wagon Sedan crash test