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Kia will unveil the new 2021 Sorento at the Geneva Motor Show

While the 2020 Chicago Auto Show is around the corner, Kia picked this year's edition of the Geneva show to introduce the next-generation Sorento. The popular crossover will arrive in time for the 2021 model year. The South Korean company explained it designed and engineered the new Sorento "to take on everything life can throw at it," and it published a pair of red-tinted teaser sketches to accompany its announcement. The images would normally give us our best look yet at the upcoming crossover, but spy photographers unabashedly ruined Kia's surprise by sending us a full gallery of images showing the soft-roader completely camouflage-free on the set of a commercial shoot.  The current-generation Sorento is one of the oldest cars in the Kia range, and the transformation is drastic. It receives a bolder, sharper look that falls in line with the company's current design language without copying its bigger or smaller siblings. Kia's design team has been on a roll in recent years, and the Sorento extends it. kia-sorento-teaser-24-1 View 2 Photos While our spies didn't get a look at the Sorento's interior, low-resolution spy shots published on Instagram confirm the transformation continues beneath the sheetmetal. The center console adopts a more rugged look characterized by brushed aluminum-like surfaces, and the infotainment system's touchscreen is now positioned on top of the dashboard instead of being embedded into it. We also expect to find nicer materials inside. What's between the fenders? Your guess is as good as ours, but Kia previously confirmed hybrid and plug-in hybrid models will join the range. Whether they'll be available at launch hasn't been made public yet. Additional information about the 2021 Kia Sorento will emerge in the coming weeks, and Autoblog will bring you live images of it straight from the show floor in Geneva on March 3. An American debut is likely scheduled for the New York Auto Show in April, and deliveries will begin shortly after. Pricing will start in the vicinity of $27,000. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

Hyundai Kia asked to pay $28.9M in patent infringement case

After years of litigation, Hyundai and Kia have lost their hybrid technology patent infringement case against Paice LLC. The jury ordered the South Korean automakers to pay $28.9 million, but according to Bloomberg, because the violation was allegedly intentional, the judge could triple that amount. The automakers have announced plans to appeal the ruling. Paice's patent dates from 1994 on a piece of tech called the Hyperdrive, and it was a way to seamlessly switch between power from an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. This lawsuit was first filed in 2012 and covered the systems in the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Kia Optima Hybrid. According to Bloomberg, the companies tried to argue that the patent was no longer valid, but the strategy failed. "Hyundai strongly believes its position and will appeal any remaining adverse findings to the Federal Circuit," the company said in a statement to Autoblog. Paice is certainly no stranger to litigating over the Hyperdrive patent, though. It and Toyota had a similar court battle that lasted years. Eventually, there was a settlement, and the result was Paice getting royalties for each hybrid that the Japanese automaker sold. Similarly, there's a lawsuit pending against Ford over tech in the C-Max, Fusion, and Lincoln MKZ. Hyundai Statement: Hyundai believes that the verdict returned by the jury today in the matter of Paice v. Hyundai Motor Company et al., is not supported by the evidence. Accordingly, Hyundai has requested that the presiding judge enter a judgment in its favor notwithstanding the verdict. Hyundai strongly believes its position and will appeal any remaining adverse findings to the Federal Circuit.

Kia previews upcoming Niro hybrid crossover

Kia is gearing up to launch a new hybrid crossover. Called the Niro, it's touted as the first of its kind in South Korea. And here we have our first glimpse of what it will look like. Previewed in this pair of teaser renderings, the Niro will be a dedicated hybrid crossover. The automaker says that the powertrain will be based on a 1.6-liter version of Hyundai's Kappa engine producing 105 horsepower and 108 pound-feet of torque. That seems a little low to us for an engine that size, considering that the same size engine in the Rio produces 138 hp and 123 lb-ft, but we'll see how the final specs work out. It's slated to be paired to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, an electric motor good for another 47 hp, and a 1.56-kWh battery pack. The hybrid powertrain will be packed into a compact crossover with what looks to be a fairly sleek design. Up front, you'll see the brand's signature tiger-nose grille, angular headlights, sculpted flanks, a relatively high belt line, and an aggressive rear end. Of course, the wheels on the final version won't fill the wheel wells quite as much, and you can expect them to be wearing narrower tires with low rolling resistance, as befits a dedicated hybrid. The Niro name was previously applied to a more rounded crossover concept unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. The production model with its hybrid powertrain will form part of Hyundai-Kia's endeavor to reduce its average fleet fuel consumption by 25 percent by 2020. It's slated to launch in some markets in the first half of next year. Related Video: