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Kia reveals Niro concept in Frankfurt, by Frankfurt and for Frankfurt

Although the Frankfurt Motor Show may be home turf to a half dozen German automakers, Kia won't have far to go when it wheels its new concept over to the Messe for the exposition in a couple of weeks. That's because the show car you see here was designed less than a kilometer away from the convention center at Kia's European design center.
It's called the Niro, and it's designed to gauge public interest - particularly the European public's - for a potential new B-segment model. Kia's not saying much else about the project, only that it was directed by its chief European designer Gregory Guillaume and that it "combines a mischievous character in a clearly robust and substantial yet stylish bodyshape" and that it incorporates stainless steel and other materials into its shape.
What we can see from the images (which you can view in the gallery above) distributed with the press release (below) is a compact crossover coupe with Kia's trademark grille (part of the neon green accents), a contrasting greenhouse, and butterfly doors to access a molded cockpit with widescreen infotainment display. For more than that, though, we'll have to wait until the concept is revealed in Frankfurt on September 10.

BMW tops Consumer Reports 2023 Brand Report Card

Feels like we wrote about Consumer Reports' 2022 Brand Report Car and 10 Top Picks a few weeks ago, but it was last April. So the mag is back with a ranked roster of 32 brands and 10 vehicles in four categories for your debating pleasure. Starting with the brands, last year's top three were Subaru, Mazda and BMW. This year, the Munich crew climbed two spots to win the prize thanks to "Superb road test scores and solid results in CR’s reliability and owner satisfaction surveys." Subaru narrowly fell to second, maintaining its four-year run in the top three. Mini, eighth last year, jumped five spots to get the last step on the podium. The rest of the top 10 were Lexus (up one spot from last year), Honda (down one spot from last year), Toyota (up three), Genesis (up 12), Mazda (down six), Audi (down three) and Kia (up eight). The magazine and testing outfit says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CRÂ’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." Last year's top 10 had six automakers from Japan, three from Germany (giving Mini credit for England), none from the U.S. or South Korea, and five luxury brands. This year's list counts five makes from Japan, two from Germany because Porsche fell out of the top ten, two from South Korea, still none from the U.S., and four luxury brands. Buick again ranked as the best domestic, dropping to 12th after being 11th last year. The big mover was Lincoln, its 10-place jump up to 16th attributed to better reliability from the Corsair and Nautilus. Tesla's improved overall reliability saw it climb six spots to 17th. Dodge climbed one spot to 15th. Jeep got out of the penalty box in last to come second-to-last. Land Rover fell three places into the penalty spot.  CR's top 10 vehicle models The 10 Top Picks list is practically a new list. Only two holdovers made it to 2023, those being the Subaru Forester and Kia Telluride.

2023 New York Auto Show Editors' Picks

The New York Auto Show has typically marked the end of the auto show season. That's arguable now that shows have been shuffling around, but if we stick with it, that means that show season wrapped up with a modest bang. While the number of reveals were a bit modest, some of them were some seriously big deals for the car industry. Some of them were also literally big. And these are the reveals that were our favorites. They range from updated classics to the latest EVs. Read on to see what topped the list. 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe View 22 Photos 5. 2024 Jeep Wrangler The 2024 Wrangler is impressive as mid-cycle updates go. It's both a reflection of the longevity of the Wrangler's product cycles (we get a redesign once a decade, almost on the dot) and the Ford Bronco toppling Jeep's once firm monopoly on soft-top off-roaders. The cheaper 4xe entry is a welcome addition, and the ongoing one-upmanship between Ford and Jeep will continue to serve enthusiasts who want the best of the best. This is why competition matters, folks. — Associate Editor Byron Hurd Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept View 9 Photos 3. (Tie) Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept Even though it was far from the most important vehicle at the show, the Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept weirdly stole NY for me. IÂ’ve been largely unimpressed or neutral on most SUV coupes, but now thereÂ’s finally one that I love. Genesis design in general has been on fire lately, and the fact that it can turn out a crossover coupe that actually looks good is more evidence of its excellence. The stunning interior with those orange-backed seats and sporty-looking orange accents everywhere probably wonÂ’t make it into production, but IÂ’d love to see Genesis really amp up the performance angle with the coupe version of the GV80. Oh, and please offer the conceptÂ’s orange paint in the production carÂ’s palette, too. — Road Test Editor Zac Palmer 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric View 21 Photos 3. (Tie) 2024 Hyundai Kona The Hyundai Kona has been a favorite mini-crossover of ours for a while, but it has had some foibles. Most notably, it's been almost too small in some areas. That's been fixed and then some with this new one. It also doesn't lose any of the funkiness that made the model so distinct in the first place, while also gaining some fun styling cues from its bigger siblings.