2011 Kia Sorento Lx Sport Utility 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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Kia argues the coronavirus pandemic will leave a mark on car design

Shared and connected, the toaster-shaped concepts paraded in front of CES attendees each year look like rolling germ incubators in a year marred by a global pandemic. Digitally hitching a ride with four or five perfect strangers suddenly seems like a good way to get sick, and one of Kia's top executives argued that, in the coming years, automakers will need to rethink the way they design car interiors to address the public's lingering fears. "We're going to have talks with psychologists and anthropologists to really understand how the public's psyche is going to be in the future. There are things we've already been talking about: Can we have anti-viral coatings in our interiors? Can you use temperature or ultraviolet light to sanitize surfaces? These are things we will have to talk about rather soon," affirmed Karim Habib, Kia's design chief, during an interview with British magazine Car. He brought up the possibility of developing new, germ-repellent materials Kia could use to manufacture door handles, gear selectors, steering wheels, and other common touch points. And, he called into question the various car-sharing programs some companies have poured millions of dollars into in recent years. "What does this mean for cars? I think we'll have to wait and see. Right now, we are trying to expand our understanding of what this might mean, not only for the types of vehicles we drive, but also how to design vehicles for shared mobility, or not, as the case may be," he explained. Sister company Hyundai is trying to answer the same questions. It's experimenting with ways to beam ultraviolet rays from the dome light to kill viruses in car interiors. COVID-19 comes to mind, but this technology can -- in theory -- zap other infectious agents. The issue, as we reported, is that UV light harms human skin, so it would only have to be blasted into the cabin when no one is in the car. There's no word on when Hyundai will put this technology in a car, or whether it will reach production, but it's already used globally in the medical sector. Ford is taking a different approach to killing germs. It released software that bakes viruses by heating the cabin to about 133 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. This feature is only available on the Explorer-based Police Interceptor Utility as of writing, though the company plans to add it to other models sooner or later. "So, yes: COVID-19 will very much influence the way we design our cars in the future," Habib concluded. Kia

The Kia Stinger GT won't get a manual, but the US does get a louder exhaust

Kia revealed its new Stinger GT hatchback grand tourer tonight. Unfortunately for fans of the clutch pedal, a manual transmission won't come any time soon. Albert Biermann, Kia's head of vehicle testing and high-performance development, told us there are no plans for a manual. Instead, buyers will have to settle for an eight-speed automatic, which Kia's director of corporate communications, James Bell, said was chosen for its quick shifts coupled with low-speed refinement. Biermann did admit that he would enjoy driving a manual Stinger, if he had one. View 12 Photos If the lack of a manual transmission has diminished your enthusiasm for the stylish new Kia, perhaps this will help bolster it: Biermann told us that the US will get a market-specific exhaust, and it's louder than what Europe will get. He said that the US has less restrictive exhaust sound regulations, allowing up to 80 decibels. So even though the Stinger GT won't exercise your left foot much, your ears may be in for a treat. We certainly look forward to hearing it ourselves. Related Video:

2016 Kia Optima 2.0T Quick Spin [w/video]

Kia might live under the corporate shadow of parent company Hyundai, but don't confuse the Kia Optima for a rebadged Hyundai Sonata. That hasn't been the case for years, and the new 2016 Optima is more of its own car than ever before. Yes, both cars share a 110.4-inch wheelbase and 191.1-inch length, two engines, and under-the-skin hardware components. But you wouldn't know they were related just by looking – or by driving. In addition to the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, Kia offers a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four on the base end, and a 1.6-liter turbo-four aimed at higher fuel economy. For more on those powertrains, stay tuned for our full First Drive story coming in a few days. My drive time in the Optima focused mostly on the 2.0-liter turbo-equipped version, in loaded trim. Sure, I drove the fancy one, but this car feels so refined that Toyota should be worried. Driving Notes 2.0-liter turbo models use a rack-mounted steering assist motor, compared to the column mounted unit paired to other engines. It's a costly upgrade for Kia, but it offers better feedback and steering feel. Kia firsts include automous emergency braking, and high-intensity discarge headlamps with active cornering and automatic high beams. I didn't have a chance to try either feature, but I can tell you the adaptive cruise control works with minimal frustration. Another new item, first used on the Sorento, is Harmon Kardon Clari-fi digital music restoration, which claims to improve the sound quality of compressed music. I sampled the optional 14-speaker, 630-watt system with some 320 kbps MP3 files over the USB input and was amazed by the clarity and sound quality. The interior layout, with its horizontal swatch of buttons on the dash, is a clean and refreshing. It's a welcome break from more over-styled sedans that sacrifice swoopy contours for functionality. Kia focused on quality materials and feel. The push-button start is metal, models with the panoramic sunroof get ceiling mood lighting with rear LED reading lamps, and top-of-the-line SXL come with nappa leather. It goes a long way to justify the SXL's base price of $36,615. This car is quiet. The roads outside of Las Vegas are smooth, but the desert sun leaves the surface pockmarked. That's usually a recipe for tire noise, but I didn't hear any hum. Kia's product planners gave credit to the Michelin tires. I'll have to sample the car on some worse roads before giving a final impression.