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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.

2021 Kia Stinger engine details revealed, and it's getting more power

Powertrain details on the updated Kia Stinger are out, and the theme is more power. We got to see the revised looks a couple of weeks ago, but the information out of Korea today completes the picture of what the Stinger will soon look like. Kia is adding a new 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder to the lineup that makes more power than the old 2.0-liter turbo. The 2.5-liter engine is also exclusive to the North American market. Kia didn’t explicitly say it was dropping the smaller four-cylinder here, but itÂ’s no stretch to assume the less powerful engine will disappear once the new cars begin to ship. This 2.5-liter makes 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, which is a big step up from the 255 horses and 260 pound-feet of torque produced by the 2.0-liter. The new engine produces peak torque between 1,650 and 4,000 rpm. Kia doesnÂ’t brag about better acceleration numbers, but itÂ’s surely quicker than before. Next up is the V6 in the Stinger GT. Kia stays the course with the 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 in this case, but itÂ’s added a new electronic exhaust valve system that unlocks more noise and three extra horsepower. This leaves the final figures at 368 horsepower and 367 (unchanged) pound-feet of torque. Kia says thereÂ’s a small butterfly valve in the exhaust that opens in Sport driving modes, but remains closed in Comfort and Eco. A better exhaust note is one thing we badly wanted out of our long-term Kia Stinger GT. Finally, Kia has an answer — we canÂ’t wait to hear it. ThereÂ’s no change in transmission for the Stinger. All models will continue to come standard with an eight-speed automatic. Both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive will be available for both the four-cylinder and GT models, too. In addition to the powertrain news, Kia has detailed new driver assistance systems available on the updated Stinger. Kia added its Highway Driving Assist tech, which weÂ’ve found to be extremely capable of tracing lines around corners on the highway in other Kias. The Blind-Spot Monitor that debuted in the Telluride is also onboard this year — it displays a video feed of your blind spot in the digital instrument cluster when you put your turn signal on. Other new systems include Lane Following Assist, Rear Occupant Alert and Safe Exit Warning. Several other systems are updated with enhanced functionality, too. WeÂ’re unsure of when this Stinger will make it to our shores, but sales are scheduled to commence in Korea sometime in the third quarter.

Kia plans dedicated PHEV by year’s end, battery-electric crossover in 2021

Back in January, Kia announced something it called its “Plan S” strategy. The $25 billion plan broadly outlines its targets for electric vehicles, with the highlight being plans to sell 11 battery-electric models by the end of 2025, including launching its first dedicated new EV here in the U.S. in 2021. Now we have some new details on what the Korean automaker has in mind for the latter, plus a juicy new tidbit about a new plug-in hybrid coming later this year. It comes via a scripted Earth Day video message between Neil Dunlop, product and technology PR manager, whoÂ’s shown wandering around a forest, and Steve Kosowski, manager of KiaÂ’s long-range strategy, product strategy and mobility, whoÂ’s quarantined at home. Kosowski calls Plan S “a preemptive shift” away from being a traditional manufacturer of combustion vehicles to one focused on electric vehicles, electrified vehicles and mobility. First up will be a dedicated new PHEV model coming to the U.S. by yearÂ’s end. There are no real details offered, but Kosowski brings up the HabaNiro crossover and Imagine concepts as examples of KiaÂ’s design excellence and innovation. The brand has already said the Imagine will go into production within one or two years, but it was never clear whether the “large C-segment car,” as they described it, would make it here. Imagine by Kia Concept View 12 Photos More is said about KiaÂ’s first dedicated EV model, due here by the end of 2021 — possibly earlier in other markets — and riding on a dedicated new EV platform. “ItÂ’s a crossover design that really blurs the line between passenger cars, CUVs, crossovers, itÂ’s a little bit car, a little bit crossover,” Kosowski says. It will have a range of about 300 miles and sub-20-minute fast-charging time. “In the end it will be a very stunning, dramatic new Kia EV, something that youÂ’ve never seen before.” The range figure squares with what Kia advertised with the HabaNiro concept, which it unveiled at the 2019 New York Auto Show, while the automaker has described both it and the Imagine as blurring traditional vehicle segment lines. Both concepts will doubtless lose some of their more fanciful elements — bye bye, HabaNiro's lava red interior — on the way to production, however. Kia is developing a new EV platform that it will share with Hyundai.