2005 Tow Hitch, Tint, Sunroof, Cd Player, Power Windows, Locks And Mirrors on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Kia electric concept car for Geneva displays a 21-screen salute

Kia is going to show an electric concept car at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show (we got our first look last week), and the automaker has revealed some interesting and even funny details about the car ahead of time. For starters, there will be 21(!) individual high-resolution screens in this puppy. The teaser photo of the interior is showing off a lot of them, but don't fret, there are still more in there somewhere. Kia isn't exactly serious about this kind of a setup; here's a section of the press release for you as an example: "In a humorous riposte to the industry's current obsession with ever increasing dashboard screens, the concept features 21 individual ultra high-resolution screens. These curve their synchronized way across the top of the dashboard in a layout that's at the same time both casual and coordinated." So yes, it's a joke. But it's still sort of incredible a concept like this one will exist. We don't expect 21-screen interiors to be reality anytime soon, especially when the folks who designed it agree that it's completely laughable, too. What comes next in the release is also a bit confusing. Kia says this is its first pure-electric four-door passenger car — nothing wrong there. However, it then goes on to say it combines elements from "a muscular sports utility vehicle, a sleek and athletic family saloon and a versatile and spacious crossover." SUVs and crossovers are mentioned twice there, but this is meant to be a four-door passenger car? The teaser makes it look like the concept is much more car-like than a crossover, but it could be deceiving. A hint of black cladding is shown in this side profile shot as the closest hint to its intentions of being more crossover-like. Another interesting detail here is the evolution of Kia's tiger nose grille we saw introduced on the Stinger. It looks like future Kia electric cars will have a "tiger mask" (ha) instead of a traditional flow-through grille. We dig the normal design itself on the Stinger, and the teaser itself doesn't disappoint. The car/crossover/combination thereof will be revealed in Geneva on March 5, so check back then to see the full concept. Related Video:

2021 Kia Rio spied with heavy camo, wearing a mid-cycle refresh

The 2020 Kia Rio received an updated engine and transmission for the new year, but it looks like there’s much more on the way for KiaÂ’s subcompact in the near future. We got the all-new Rio in the 2018 model year, but this heavily covered prototype is suggesting significant design changes are on the way. The new design will complement the updated 1.6-liter four-cylinder and CVT (replacing the six-speed auto) the Rio got this year — fuel economy jumps from 32 mpg combined to 36 mpg combined in both the sedan and hatchback as a result of the switch. The 2020 Hyundai Accent received the same changes. One of our spy shooters managed to catch a hatchback driving around. Unlike many mid-cycle refresh camo getups, this one is more than just a thin layer of swirly stickers. Instead, we get the full-on cladding and tenting job. From what we can see of the headlights, they already look like a different design. Squared-off LED DRLs are hiding in there, and the element visible beside the LED is shaped differently than the current headlight unit. The fog light visible below the headlight looks to be in the same spot as before, but itÂ’s impossible to tell the design of the surrounding area. With the amount of camouflage seen here, itÂ’s possible that we see an entirely different front fascia design, and the same goes for around back. Similar to crossovers and SUVs trying to hide their roof and hatch shapes, this one has a big tent over the rear window. We find it highly unlikely that Kia decides to change sheetmetal with this kind of an update, but an entirely new look from the bumper, taillights and garnishing seems possible. The Rio, despite being a solid car in many ways, is a bit boring to look at. Its taillights are barely visible through the black netting, but they look similar to the current carÂ’s lights from what little we can see of them. Most of the car is covered up — even the doors have camouflage on them, though we donÂ’t expect the doors to be going through any revolutionary changes at this point in the carÂ’s life cycle. We dig the wheels on this tester, and the Rio hatchbackÂ’s shape is an appealing one. Sportier styling could help it a bit on the dealer lot, but with the new Soul already out and the Seltos hot on its heels, the Rio is facing a lot of pressure from other Kias. We hope the little subcompact doesnÂ’t go away as other tiny cars have, as our last stint in the driverÂ’s seat was surprisingly charming for such a cheap car.

EV battery prices to stop falling in 2020, Hyundai says

SEOUL — Hyundai believes electric vehicle battery prices will level off by 2020 due to supply constraints of key ingredients, ending years of sharp declines that have helped stimulate activity in the booming sector. Despite its cautious outlook, the South Korean carmaker and smaller affiliate Kia plan to release 38 green models using a variety of technologies by 2025, Hyundai Motor Senior Vice-President Lee Ki-sang said. "Not a single ingredient is going in a positive direction in terms of pricing," Lee, who oversees Hyundai's green car operations, said in remarks to reporters last week that were embargoed until Wednesday. "So far battery prices have been declining at a rapid pace, but the pace will moderate significantly or maintain the status quo by 2020." While rivals have announced ambitious plans for electric vehicles, some analysts say Hyundai has been late to the game. It plans to launch a long-range electric vehicle next year, well behind the likes of General Motors and Tesla. Demand for minerals such as nickel, cobalt and lithium used in electric car batteries is forecast to soar in the coming years as governments crack down on vehicle pollution and carmakers step up their investments in electric models. Batteries are the most expensive part of electric vehicles, and their affordability is key to the take-up of the technology. Lithium-ion battery cell prices fell about 60 percent in the five years to 2016 as larger-scale production made them cheaper to make. In September, Reuters reported that Volkswagen was moving to secure long-term supplies of cobalt for the group's electric vehicle plans, but its talks with cobalt producers in November ended without a supply deal. Lee said that although Hyundai saw the need to develop batteries in-house, it still relied on outside suppliers due to a lack of economies of scale to secure raw materials. It aimed to release vehicles powered by solid-state lithium batteries by about 2020, promising greater range and safety than existing lithium-ion units. Japanese rival Toyota also has announced a similar schedule for the development of vehicles powered by new, potentially revolutionary solid-state batteries. In addition to hybrids and battery-powered vehicles, Hyundai was "coordinating" with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles over hydrogen cars propelled by electricity generated from fuel cells, Lee added.