2009 Kia Sorento Lx 4x4 Automatic 4-door Suv on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2014 Kia Forte Koup SX

The Kia Forte and Hyundai Elantra have long followed similar paths, with each available in a four-door sedan, a five-door hatch and (most recently) a two-door coupe bodystyle. The recent death of the Hyundai Elantra Coupe in the US may be threatening to change the narrative on these two affordable compact lines, of course, but the Korean two-doors have a lot in common under their distinct skins. Their most recent iterations came to market under the power of the same 2.0-liter, 173-horsepower four-cylinder paired with six-speed automatic transmissions and riding atop MacPherson strut front suspensions and torsion-beam setups out back. Each arrived weighing between 2,800 and 3,000 pounds and could be had in base form for less than $20,000. Considering this, the empirical performance stats figured to be similar.
There's an important distinction to be made, however. Rather than offer a simple two-door version of a four-door car, like Hyundai did with its Elantra Coupe, Kia has gone to lengths to craft a vehicle with its own unique attitude and attributes. Kia has embraced a sportier stance with its two-door Forte Koup, offering up a standard six-speed manual and going further in an effort to craft a more unique, aggressive coupe design.
That drive to be different was further accentuated last year, when Kia raided Hyundai's parts bin and plucked out the 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder from the Veloster Turbo. The resulting car is decidedly different than any other Forte we've tested, while also feeling like a better all-around product than the smaller hot hatch it stole its engine from. To see just how much better, we drove the Forte Koup SX for a week and set about seeing how this enhanced model stacks up as a performance offering.

Kia recalls 9,700 new Sorento models for potential front axle failures

Kia has announced a recall on the 2014 Sorento due to an issue that could lead to a broken right front driveshaft on certain models. Only models equipped with the 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive are affected by the campaign.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that Sorento models built between January 7 through March 12 of this year may experience broken axle shafts that could lead to loss of power or cause the vehicle to roll if parked. According to the Detroit Free Press, a total of close to 9,700 units are being recalled, but that number is closer to 9,300 for customers in the US.
Kia says that it has had one incident with an internal vehicle that experienced a separated axle shaft in addition to 10 related warranty claims, but it says no accidents or injuries have been reported. The recall campaign will begin next month. Scroll down for the NHTSA recall notice as well as an official statement from Kia.

2018 Kia Stinger GT becomes police car for Queensland, Australia

Now that Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore production has ceased in Australia, local authorities are encountering the same problems as United States law enforcement after the Ford Crown Victoria was discontinued: what to replace the aging police cars with? While some fleets will consist of BMWs and Chryslers in the future, News.com.au reports that Queensland police will go with Kia Stingers instead. The Stingers in question will be fitted with the twin-turbo V6 engine. The first 50 cars will hit the road this week, and 150 more will join them in the long run. According to News.com.au, Kia was pushing to get the pursuit car fleet deal, and it has been co-operating with the Australian authorities to modify the Stingers for police use. Road policing assistant commissioner Mike Keating said: "The Stinger performed very well in all areas and we had nothing but top reports from all the field officers. The result is a road policing first for us, the first foreign car to perform these duties." So, it seems that if any dystopic Mad Max science fiction scenarios were ever to take place in Australia, the vehicle of choice will not be a supercharged Ford Falcon Pursuit Special Interceptor, but a twin-turbo Kia Stinger instead. We think the Stinger name is very suitable for the occasion. Related Video: