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Kia Niro EV revealed in Korea

The Kia Niro EV has been introduced at the Busan International Motor Show. The manufacturer says its fully electric Niro compact crossover will go on sale in its home market this year, with global sales starting later. Kia already showed the production Niro EV last month, but at that point no power figures were announced. We know them now, and the 204-horsepower rating, together with a 291 pound-foot figure, match the Hyundai Kona EV. Under the trunk floor is a 64-kWh lithium polymer battery pack, which according to Kia is good for 236 miles on a single charge. A 100kW fast charger will get the battery to 80 percent capacity in 54 minutes. There's also a smaller battery pack available with a 149-mile range from 39.2 kWh. This presumably comes with a cheaper purchase price. Also revealed is the Niro EV interior, which features a different center console and gear selector than the hybrid and plug-in hybrid (much as the Hyundai Ioniq Electric does compared to its part-gasoline siblings). Also different is the special LCD instrument cluster and the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that gets special EV features like charge point location services and a battery pack charge indicator. A mood lighting system is also offered, similarly to the K900 flagship sedan. There's also a driver assist suite, consisting of collision warning systems, adaptive cruise control, "Intelligent Stop & Go" and Lane Following Assist, which Kia calls a Level Two autonomous technology. Like other such systems, it uses the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist systems to control the accelerator, brakes and steering when on a highway. The system functions between 0 and 80 mph. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Kia Niro EV Image Credit: Kia Kia Crossover SUV Electric

Kia recalling 377k Sorentos that can accidentally shift out of park

Kia has announced that it will recall 377,000 Sorento crossovers built between October 19, 2009 and January 31, 2013, which equates to model years 2011 through 2013. The affected vehicles may suffer failure in the brake-shift interlock mechanism. Put enough force on the lever and the interlock will crack or chip. Once that happens, the Sorento can be shifted out of park without stepping on the brakes. That's bad news for safety, and as the National Highway Traffic Safety Association bulletin notes, it's a violation the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards on theft protection. Naturally, Kia will notify owners of the affected vehicles and ask them to report to dealers for a new brake-shift interlock mechanism. Repairs will be carried out free of charge. The official start date of the recall is November 24. Read on for the official press release from Kia. RECALL Subject : Brake-Shift Interlock Mechanism Can Chip or Crack Report Receipt Date: OCT 06, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V626000 Component(s): POWER TRAIN Potential Number of Units Affected: 377,062 Manufacturer: Kia Motors America SUMMARY: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Kia Sorento vehicles manufactured October 19, 2009, to January 31, 2013. In the affected vehicles, if excessive force is applied to the gear shift lever, the brake-shift interlock mechanism may chip or crack allowing the transmission being able to be shifted out of "Park" without the brakes being depressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection." CONSEQUENCE: Without requiring the brake to be pressed, the vehicle may be unintentionally shifted out of Park, allowing it to roll, which may result in a crash. REMEDY: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake-shift interlock mechanism, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin November 24, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC124. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Kia recalls 507,000 vehicles in U.S. for airbag issues

WASHINGTON — Kia Motors Corp said on Friday it was recalling more than 507,000 vehicles in the United States because an electronic glitch may prevent airbags from deploying in a crash. The recall follows an announcement in March by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it was investigating why some airbags had failed to deploy in Kia vehicles and its affiliate Hyundai after crashes in which four people were killed and another six were injured. The two Korean automakers have now recalled nearly 1.1 million U.S. vehicles to address the issue. NHTSA said in March that it was aware of six serious crashes in which airbags failed to deploy in frontal crashes, including four in 2011 model Hyundai Sonatas and two in 2012 and 2013 Kia Forte vehicles. The crash of the 2013 Forte occurred in Canada. Kia's recall issued on Friday covers 2010-2013 Kia Fortes, 2011-2013 Kia Optimas and 2011-2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and Sedona vehicles. The company said the airbag control unit may short circuit because they may be susceptible to electrical overstress, preventing the frontal airbags and seat belt pretensioners, which pull the driver and front seat passenger firmly back into their seats, from deploying. The company said it does not yet have a fix, but is working with its supplier on the issue. Kia spokesman James Bell said the company "is attempting to have a remedy by the scheduled owner notification date of July 27. If Kia does not have a remedy by that date or if any customer feels unsafe in his/her vehicle, we will provide a rental car until the repair has been completed." Hyundai in February issued a recall for 154,000 U.S. Sonatas after non-deployment reports were linked to electrical overstress in the air bag control unit. In April, Hyundai recalled an additional 425,000 U.S. vehicles to address the same issue. Hyundai said in March that it was aware of reports of two deaths in its vehicles, which occurred in head-on collisions at extremely high rates of speed. NHTSA said the airbag control module under investigation was built by ZF Friedrichshafen AG, a German auto supplier. ZF said on Friday that it has worked with Kia and "continues to cooperate and support NHTSA and its customers in the investigation." The safety agency also said that electrical overstress appeared to be the root cause in a 2016 recall by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV of 1.4 million U.S. vehicles for airbag non-deployments in significant frontal crashes.