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Kia Soul now has more turbo and 201 hp

Back in May, Kia revealed in a new hamster commercial that we would be seeing a turbocharged version of the Soul sometime this winter. After months of waiting, we finally get our first look at the Soul Turbo in the form of the European-market Soul SX. Obviously, the most important part of the newly-boosted Soul lies under the hood. There you will find the familiar turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder from the Veloster Turbo and the Elantra Sport. Unsurprisingly, it makes the same 201 horsepower as its corporate cousins. But that's still a healthy 37-horsepower improvement over the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter. The engine is bolted up to a new 7-speed dual clutch transmission. Kia didn't say anything about a manual option, but we certainly hope they'll offer one. The company claims the Soul SX has a 0-62 mph time of 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 124 mph. Aside from the engine, there are subtle exterior and interior tweaks that distinguish this quicker Soul. The front bumper gets a larger, more aggressive grille, and the side sills are slightly wider. The car also receives exclusive 10-spoke, 18-inch wheels, red accents and Soul badge, and a twin-tip exhaust. Inside, the Soul SX has a black cloth and leather interior featuring orange stitching and the obligatory flat-bottomed steering wheel. Kia also revealed that the Soul SX is now available for ordering. However, this is just the European model. We still have yet to see the final US-spec version, but we'll probably see it very soon. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Kia Soul SX: Paris 2016 View 12 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Paris Motor Show Kia Crossover Hatchback Performance 2016 paris motor show kia soul turbo

Superman joining Kia's Justice League-themed fleet of vehicles

Kia is teaming up with the Justice League once again to create another show car that will be on display at the Chicago Auto Show. At the 2012 SEMA Show, Kia showed off various models inspired by DC Entertainment characters Batman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern and Cyborg, but a Superman-themed Kia Optima Hybrid will roll into the Windy City for next week's show.
In the above drawing, we only get to see a small portion of this car inspired by the Man of Steel, but it will have the requisite red-and-blue paint scheme with Superman's shield on the hood (subtle, it is not).
The previous cars include the Batman Optima, Aquaman Rio, Flash Forte Koup, Green Lantern Soul and Cyborg Forte. All six cars were created to raise awareness for the "We Can Be Heroes" campaign, which helps families in eastern Africa affected by drought and famine.

Hyundai sees tough year ahead, plans to introduce 13 new models

SEOUL — South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group predicted another year of tepid car sales growth on the back of a slow 2018, saying trade protectionism adds uncertainty and major markets such as the United States and China remained sluggish. In his first New Year address to employees, group heir apparent Euisun Chung said Hyundai Motor Co and Kia Motors would complete a restructuring of South Korea's second-biggest conglomerate, which is widely expected to pave the way for him to formally succeed his octogenarian father as head of the group. The complicated succession plans come as Hyundai contends with a bunch of problems that have cost it market share in China and the United States and stalled its rise up the ranks of global automakers. It missed a boom in sports utility vehicles (SUVs), faces potential U.S. tariffs and a U.S. investigation over how it handled a vehicle recall, and lost ground in technological advances such as self-driving cars. "Business uncertainties are heightening as the global economy continues to falter. Walls of protectionism are being constructed around the world," Chung, 48, told hundreds of employees at the group's headquarters in Seoul. "Internally, we face challenging tasks such as stabilizing business in major markets like the U.S. and China, while simultaneously enhancing our responsiveness to drive future growth." Hyundai and Kia — together the world's fifth-biggest automaker — set what they called a "conservative target" of 7.6 million vehicle sales in 2019, a 3 percent increase from the 7.399 million vehicles sold last year. The 2018 sales fell short of the group's target of 7.55 million vehicles, marking its fourth consecutive annual sales goal miss. The duo sold 7.25 million vehicles in 2017. Morgan Stanley expects global auto production to fall 1 percent in 2019, the first drop in nine years. In that environment, the group said it would launch 13 new or face-lifted models in 2019, including a premium Genesis SUV, the big Hyundai Palisade SUV and the Sonata sedan. "Hyundai will be launching new models, but competitors will be also doing so, making it difficult for Hyundai to increase shares in the sluggish markets in China, U.S. and Europe," said Sean Kim, an analyst at Dongbu Securities. Hyundai shares ended down 3.8 percent and Kia slumped 2.7 percent, while the wider market <.KS11> was down 1.5 percent.