2014 Kia Soul Base on 2040-cars

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Kia GT4 Stinger concept headed for Detroit with 315 rear-drive horsepower

With reveals expected to include the 2015 Ford F-150, the new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and the high-strung Lexus RC F performance coupe (among many others), there are plenty of vehicles we're looking forward to seeing at the Detroit Auto Show. But now, with a rendered teaser image and short press release that includes some savory details, Kia may have just hit the top of our list with its GT4 Stinger Concept. Not even looking at the above image (which you can click to enlarge), Kia managed to grab our interest with just one sentence in said release detailing the car's powertrain: "A turbocharged 2.0-liter that pumps 315 horsepower to the rear wheels."
This low, wide concept has the face of a Kia-fied Audi R8, but the previous teaser stated that the concept will be a 2+2 hatchback. There is little other information to go on, but we'll see the concept car live in just 10 days. Until then, scroll down for the brief press release.

Kia Sorento is the official ride of the Justice League

Toyota showed us a Spongebob Squarepants-themed Toyota Highlander last week. Kia has now revealed a Justice League themed Sorento. Can we just have normal, competent crossovers without all the animation frosting, please?
To be fair, this Sorento is for a good cause. It will be part of a charity auction on eBay, benefitting DC Entertainment's We Can Be Heroes campaign, which raises money for the famine-ridden Horn of Africa, a region that's facing its worst food crisis in six decades. DCE's President, Diane Nelson, claims DC has managed to raise over $285,000 through crowd-funding campaigns and unique opportunities for its fans. The Justice League Sorento is just the latest such fund-raising opportunity, with the automaker having already commissioned a number of similar themed vehicles for individual members of the Justice League.
The seven-passenger Sorento was designed by Jim Lee and created by West Coast Customs. It sports graphics that, relative to the Spongebob Highlander, are downright subtle. Batman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman are depicted on the driver's side, while Superman, the Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg are on the passenger side. The Justice League logo is emblazoned on the Sorento's hood.

Kia compact crossover caught completely uncovered, and it's called Seltos

Kia has been teasing a new, global small crossover with some sketches the past couple of weeks. Now we get to see the actual crossover — called the Kia Seltos — completely unveiled well before the actual reveal. It seems to be sized between the Kia Soul and the Kia Sportage. The photos also show that the drawings Kia released were clearly of the production car. Everything looks nearly identical. It also leans on many current design trends such as a black or contrasting-color roof separated by metallic trim, faux metallic skid plates on the bumpers, and a rising window line at the back. The car has more lines and creases than most of Kia's relatively organic designs of late. The headlights and taillights do have lots of nice detailing, though this is probably a high-level model, and those details may be lost on lower trims. We don't get a look at the interior, but if it's as faithful to the teaser images as the exterior, it should look fairly typical for a Kia. It will have a fairly low, horizontal dash with a large screen protruding from the middle. It looks as though a newer widescreen will be available, which we've seen in the Kia Telluride and K900. Considering the size of the Seltos, it would seem plausible for it to share the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter and turbocharged 1.6-liter engines from the Kia Soul and Forte. The naturally aspirated engine makes 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, and the turbo engine makes 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. As in those other Kias, the 2.0-liter engine would probably get a CVT while the 1.6-liter engine would likely get a dual-clutch transmission. All-wheel drive is also probably on the table, though we'll have to wait to see if it's offered on every trim and powertrain combination. Kia said the reveal will be this summer, so we may be waiting a couple more months for all those details.