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Kia Seltos crossover: Aimed at millennials, named from mythology

In news that touches on proper placement of carts and horses, Kia announced that its new global compact crossover will be called the Seltos. This should surprise no one, since we posted a batch of "spy" shots last week of a naked Seltos that was decorated with Seltos badges and placards. What might surprise is the inspiration for the name: Greek mythology. Kia says we have the legend of "'Celtos,' the son of Hercules" to thank for the moniker. In case you ever need to take a test on this, you should know that Heracles was the Greek god. Hercules was the later Roman version, and the Romans focused more on Hercules' early, dismal relationships. Herc, as the story goes, got tricked by a princess named Celtine during a stint herding cattle, when he stopped by her father's place. The episode resulted in a boy named Celtus (or Celtos), one of his multitudinous brood, and that boy became the mythological father of the Celts. The Seltos crossover has a job almost as challenging as fathering a nation, that of being a lure to millennials the world over. Kia's tried to give the little people hauler a head start on the job by changing the first letter of Celtos' name to "S," said to imply speed and sportiness. Conveniently, that also fits into the carmaker's crossover and minivan naming scheme that already includes Soul, Sportage, Sorento and Sedona. Without details on available engines, we can't tell how much speed or sportiness there will be, but the design looks sophisticated enough. Designers have managed to put plenty of muscle and flourish into a small space without making a mess. With the exterior matching the sketches faithfully, we expect the same handsome results inside, led by the 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen. Kia says it will reveal the Seltos later this month. Sales will begin in South Korea in the latter half of the year, with other markets to follow.

Kia Trail'ster Concept brings traction for the Soul in Chicago

Kia teased its hybrid all-wheel drive Trail'ster concept prior to the 2015 Chicago Auto Show debut, but the company kept some of this off-road Soul's biggest features a secret. Designed both to go off the beaten path and drive efficiently in the city, the company's designers in California added 2.5-inches of extra ground clearance and aluminum skid plates to give the hatchback a more rugged appearance. Drivers can also let the weather into the cabin thanks to a retractable canvas roof. However, the Trail'ster's most intriguing feature is its drivetrain. With a platform still based on the production Soul, up front there's a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with stop/start churning out 185 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque through a six-speed automatic gearbox. The gas engine exclusively runs the front axle; at the rear there's an electric motor with 35 hp and 100 lb-ft with a 1.2-kWh lithium-ion polymer battery under the cargo floor providing assistance. The whole system produces a total output of 220 hp and 285 lb-ft of twist, and the Kia claims, the concept could even run two or three miles purely on electric power. There's no physical connection between the internal combustion engine at the front and electric in the rear. Under low-throttle situations, the electric motor runs exclusively, but under most driving conditions, the all-wheel drive system provides extra traction and a bit more acceleration. Kia claims that if it put this layout into production it would offer 25-30 percent better city fuel economy and a 5-10 percent improvement on the highway compared to the current 2.0-liter powertrain in the Soul. That works about to about 30 miles per gallon city and 34 mpg highway, based on the maximum figures. The automaker isn't saying anything official yet, but it's at least hinting that a system like this could end up in the Soul one day. "The Trail'ster concept is a near-future look at how the production Kia Soul would logically evolve into an AWD-capable version that's built to escape the city streets and roam into the mountain wilderness," Tom Kearns, chief designer at the Kia Design Center of America, said in the model's announcement.

Kia previews its Super Bowl baby commercial, far cry from Adriana Lima

We're going to go ahead and give Kia the benefit of the doubt - the automaker brought us a bathing-suit-clad Adriana Lima in its Super Bowl spot from last year. That kind of thing doesn't go unappreciated.
But, if we're really honest, and judging solely on the "teaser" video below, the space suit-wearing, baby-star from Kia's commercial this year is really creeping us out.
In any event, the Kia ad (sorry, "mini-movie") called Space Babies will be set on the distant planet of "Babylandia," and will attempt to present some kind of lie about where babies come from in the ultimate service of selling the 2014 Kia Sorento. Don't let the panda, dog, pig, giraffe, rhino and unholy baby stare make you take your eye off the ball, folks - there's a car on sale here.