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Kia GT five-door approved, will tackle A7, Panamera

Kia might finally be entering the four-door coupe market in the near future with a production version of its GT Concept from the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. According to Edmunds, Kia execs at that Paris Motor Show confirmed that the swoopy model finally has been given the green light to go on sale, and that would likely be sometime in 2016 in the US.
Kia would reportedly focus the GT on the US market, but a European version with a diesel is also a possibility. As with the K900 premium sedan, the brand is taking on some established competition with the new model, including the likes of the Audi A7 and Porsche Panamera. Judging from the rest of the Korean company's range, an attractive feature for many buyers would likely be a price several grand lower than the challengers in the segment.
"Four-door coupes aren't necessarily sales champs, but right now they are popular, just as the retro theme was the "in thing" 15 years ago," said auto industry analyst Dave Sullivan from AutoPacific to Autoblog. Something like the GT would also help with Kia's increasing focus on improving its design design because it can "make a statement about what your brand stands for."

2021 Kia Sorento unveiled with new look, more tech, and two hybrid options

We've seen the all-new, fourth-generation 2021 Kia Sorento before, as Kia unveiled it online earlier in 2020, but this is our first glimpse at the American-spec model and with that glimpse comes a full set of details. Included is a longer list of technology features, more all-terrain capability, and an available plug-in hybrid powertrain. While the American market version looks a lot like the variant that will be sold in global markets, the range will include an outdoorsy equipment package named X-Line, offered as the AWD version of SX Prestige model, which adds an inch of ground clearance, specific 20-inch alloy wheels, a bridge-type roof rack, and a handful of rugged-looking exterior accents. It also brings a center locking differential and electronic hill descent control. While it won't be giving a Jeep Grand Cherokee fits, it sounds like it will be more capable over rough terrain than your average family crossover. Besides the X-Line's extra ground clearance (a decent 8.3 inches), every 2021 Sorento gains 1.4 inches of wheelbase. Total length remains the same, though, and third-row legroom has actually gone down by 2 inches. As such, the Sorento maintains its unusual in-betweener position: it's bigger and has more seats than a Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4, but it isn't as spacious or cumbersome as bigger three-row crossovers. This positioning makes even more sense now that Kia sells the Telluride. The 2021 Sorento comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen and six USB charging ports. Buyers willing and able to move up the trim hierarchy and tick a few boxes on the list of options unlock a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 360-degree camera, eight USB ports, a 10.25-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system, cloud-based navigation, plus multi-connection Bluetooth technology that lets the passengers simultaneously connect two phones. Owners can also use an Amazon Alexa- or Google Assistant-enabled smart speaker to remotely start the engine, among other functions.  The 2021 Sorento range will ultimately include four powertrains. Entry-level models come with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that develops 191 horsepower and 182 pound-feet of torque. The upgrade engine option is now a turbocharged version of the 2.5-liter making 281 horsepower and a stout 311 pound-feet of torque. The old Sorento's V6 is no more. Front-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission come standard on both, and all-wheel drive is offered at an extra cost.

Driver unaware SUV is in flames going down the highway

NBC Nightly News recently carried the above segment on a video showing a 2012 Kia Sorento spewing flames as its driver travels at highway speed on Interstate 4 in Orlando. Another motorist, Meredith Olinger, drives alongside, shooting the video while trying to warn the driver to pull over. She does, just in time. Seconds later, the Kia is cooked. The driver, Susan King, says, "I got out, and suddenly the car was engulfed in flames. (Olinger) saved my life. I'm incredibly grateful, and she was my angel that day. It was surreal." NBC did a nice job of using the video to highlight a serious issue. The SUV's owner was not King but her friend Tyla Kennedy, and though the Kia was part of a recall of 2012-14 Sorentos having to do with an engine defect, Kennedy says she never received a recall notice. That's because she was not the car's original owner. And as anyone who has received a recall notice for a long-sold car knows, automakers send the notices to original owners. Subsequent owners are out of luck. We could argue all day about whether automakers, sellers or subsequent owners should do more to ensure that automakers know the current whereabouts of their products, but luckily there's an easy way past all of that. If you own a car you bought second-hand, go to safercar.gov and enter your VIN. If there is a recall on your vehicle, it will show up there. If one pops up, contact a dealership and the repair will be carried out free of charge. Even if you bought your vehicle new, doing this check couldn't hurt, just in case your notice got lost in the mail. It could keep you from discovering, as you fly down the highway, that you are driving a fireball. Related Video: Image Credit: Meredith Olinger Auto News Recalls Kia Crossover SUV Videos