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2021 Kia Sorento spied racing around the Nurburgring

Last time our spy shooters caught the next-gen Kia Sorento, it was doing something strenuous and taxing (towing a BMW X5). This time the mid-size crossover is on the Nurburgring. Perhaps Kia has visions of being a Ring Taxi. We kid, but it’s always fun to see family SUVs pounding around the German racetrack. The previous Sorento we captured had a massive tent over the rear concealing the design. This tester has no such apparatus, so we can see exactly what Kia is working with. ThereÂ’s a bit of bodywork at the rear window line that juts outward strongly. Perhaps this is just trying to throw us off the trail. The general shape of the rear window and slant is the same as the current Sorento. This just looks far more pronounced due to the ducktail-like piece sticking out. As for the third rear window, itÂ’s shaped just like the slanting window in the current Sorento. These spy shots donÂ’t suggest a floating roof design for the time being. Of all the design changes coming to the Sorento, the front may be the most dramatic. ThereÂ’s plenty of camouflage hiding whatÂ’s underneath, but the design appears to be a bit more butch and tough than the gentle slopes and curves on the current Sorento. We donÂ’t think Kia is going full Telluride with the strong, squared-off appearance, but the SorentoÂ’s front fascia is definitely edging that way. This prototype itself is still looking rather unkempt — just look at those exposed “taillights” and the uneven/weird rear valance. ItÂ’s expected to be a 2021 model year vehicle, so weÂ’re likely to see more put-together Sorentos racing around later this year or early 2020.

Kia unveils SP Signature concept at Seoul Motor Show

The Seoul Motor Show is alive and kicking, and Kia has used its home event to display two new concepts. One is the Mohave Masterpiece large SUV, which is what our Borrego could have become if the Borrego hadn't been sent to slaughter in 2009 after just one year on sale here. The other concept is the SP Signature, said to preview a compact crossover Kia will sell around the world starting later this year. The four-door is a toned-down, more production-ready version of the SP concept unveiled at India's Auto Expo last year. The car's a bit of a cryptid, with few facts and plenty of fuzzy details to go on. The SP Signature concept apparently began as an Indian-market product, then morphed into a worldwide offering. Kia said the "SP Concept hints at the company's plans to introduce a new small SUV for its global markets," but that "hint" has already been confirmed; Kia Motors CEO Han-Woo Park told Automotive News last October that the U.S. would get a new compact crossover in late 2019, and a prototype matching the Signature's profile has been spotted testing. Slotting in below the Sportage and about the size of the Hyundai Kona, the reported retail name is Tusker, but we aren't sure that name will apply here. Although the Signature evokes Kona vibes, detailing makes the Signature look more technical and hawkish than the Kona, which we like. Rumor also has it that the so-called Tusker won't include all-wheel drive as an option so as to leave daylight between it and the Sportage. Several outlets have posited a debut at the New York Auto Show, partly because the N.Y. show put out a press release listing Kia as one of the automakers with a world debut. That press release has since disappeared, and with Hyundai having announced the even smaller Venue crossover for New York, it's possible Kia could have to give way to big brother.

NBA players make some weird car commercials

If you've been watching Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs this year (or network television in general), there's a great chance that you've seen the spot above. If you're like me, you've also found the premise slightly ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I think the Kia K900 is a spacious, well-appointed large car, and a value at that. But LeBron has made more than $130,000,000, just from playing basketball, in the last decade; the dude has got to have a man cave or something. But Kia's commercial is far from the most far-fetched where NBA players and cars are concerned. As you'll see below, long before Blake Griffin was pretending his Kia was a horse, pro ballers have been pitching products, and pitching them badly. (It's not car-based, but I would never forgive myself for not dropping the link to this spot featuring all of the 1986 Boston Celtics, shilling for a steakhouse. Horrifying.) Enjoy the carnage, and the rest of the second season. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Wilt Chamberlain – Volkswagen Beetle King James might have an acre of legroom in his K900, but Wilt The Stilt wasn't so lucky with the original Volkswagen Beetle. Wilt Chamberlain measured out at 7-feet, 1-inch, making him just slightly too large for the love bug. With this spot, VW employed the same self-effacing charm that made its legendary "Lemon" ad so impactful. (And Billy Cunningham gets a cameo out of the deal.) This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Carmelo Anthony – Eastern Motors Washington D.C.-area Eastern Motors knows what it has with this jingle. That's one hell of a hook. You probably won't believe Carmelo Anthony's half-hearted lip-syncing (and air drumming), but there's a good chance that the song will have you bobbing your head at the end of thirty seconds. Mission accomplished. Anyway, the formula must be pretty dialed in; Melo's spot is pushing ten years old but Bradley Beal's version from 2014 sounds eerily familiar. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. San Antonio Spurs – H-E-B The San Antonio Spurs may have a two-decade dynasty going, but they're still a small-market NBA team. That means that even big stars, like Hall of Fame locks Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, occasionally get hooked up for local spots.