2013 Kia Sportage Lx on 2040-cars

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2019 Kia Sorento three-row crossover will start at $25,990

Kia's refreshed three-row 2019 Sorento will start at $25,990 and be offered in five trim levels, including all-wheel drive options, when it hits showrooms later this year. Kia first revealed the updated crossover at the L.A. Auto Show in November, showing off more refined exterior features including new front and rear fascias with updated grille, revised headlamps, new rear bumper, tail lamps and a revised lift gate. Seven-passenger seating and a 7-inch touchscreen interface with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration will both be standard in the 2019 model, while the optional 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine is no more. In its place is the carry-over base 2.4-liter inline-four with a revised six-speed automatic, plus an optional 3.3-liter V6 with a new eight-speed automatic transmission. A diesel version is also forthcoming. Inside the Sorento there's a new steering wheel, shifter knob and revised air vents and gauges. Options include the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems package on the EX, SX and SX-L trims, which bring lane-keeping assistance and driver-attention warning technologies, and a premium Harman Kardon surround-sound system. The fully loaded SXL trim starts at $44,690 for front-wheel drive and $46,490 for all-wheel drive and includes LED headlights with high- and low-beam assist, LED fog lights, wireless phone charging and front parking sensors, among other perks. A Magna Dynamax intelligent all-wheel-drive system is available on all trim levels except the base front-wheel drive L and features a 50-50 locking center differential and torque vectoring. The new Sorento's starting price is right in line with its 2018 predecessor and keeps it priced competitively with three-row crossover competitors like the Subaru Ascent, which starts at $31,995, and the Volkswagen Tiguan, which starts at $24,595. Sales of the Sorento fell 13 percent in 2017 to 99,684, making it Kia's fourth top-selling vehicle behind the Optima, Soul and Forte. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Kia Sorento: LA 2017 View 12 Photos Image Credit: Kia Kia Crossover kia sorento subaru ascent three-row

Kia Stinger base trim is for people who hate colors

The 2018 Kia Stinger is a looker, and at least in twin-turbo V6 guise, a pretty impressive performer, too. Not only that, its base price of $32,795 is quite attractive for the base turbocharged four-cylinder model, which with 255 horsepower and rear-drive is still a compelling package. Unfortunately, there's a hitch with the affordable four-cylinder cars: You don't have any real color choice. As it turns out, the base-model Stinger has just three color options. They consist of white, silver, and black. Yay. Paying an extra $5,200 for the Stinger Premium, while adding additional features such as a sunroof and premium sound system, only adds one more color, blue. The only way to get the full spectrum of colors including white, silver, dark gray, black, blue and red is to pony up for a Stinger GT, the V6 version. That model starts at $1,250 more than the four-cylinder Stinger Premium, and $6,450 more than the base version. So if you want a colorful Stinger, you'd better be ready to buy the one with the big engine. On the plus side, though, you get a whole lot performance for not a lot more than a top-end four-cylinder. Related Video: Image Credit: Kia Kia Car Buying Hatchback Performance Sedan consumer kia stinger gt kia stinger

2020 Kia Telluride Second Drive | Won over

When I first saw the 2020 Kia Telluride at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show press days, I was super impressed. It looked great on the show floor, the interior was roomy, materials were high-quality and details well attended to. I couldn't wait to show my wife, Cat, who has been looking to move from a Mercedes-Benz GLK into something a bit bigger. The Tellurides were less accessible when Cat and I took our son, Wollie, to the public show, so I couldn't fully show off this new ute I thought was so cool. "Eh, it's a Kia," Cat said, despite my many previous attempts to convince her that the notion of crummy, boring, cheap Kias is a thing of the past. Anyway, I'd have to wait to get a Telluride from the press fleet to convince her further and to see if I even liked it as much on the road as I did seeing it on the show floor. The day I brought it home, my 3-year-old son called — as he often does — around lunchtime to ask what car I'd be driving. When I said "Kia Telluride," he got excited. He's been a huge fan of our long-term Stinger (as well as an Optima we once rented in Arizona), so the Kia brand name impressed him. My wife, who was also on the line, had no reaction. Driving it home, I fell in love with the Telluride, just as I expected I would. Our top-of-the-line SX-trim tester was nice, loaded with content, trimmed with what looked and felt to be high-quality materials. It took close inspection to see that the headliner isn't a soft microfiber, and that the wood trim is actually plastic. The Nappa leather upholstery is rich, and the seats supportive. The huge dual sunroof and gigantic windows give the cabin an open, airy feeling. I would be pushing for a Telluride as a future addition to Autoblog's long-term garage, as I could see myself enjoying this car for many a mile, with the space to serve many purposes. When I got home, Wollie was eager to check the Telluride out. He climbed all through it, and marveled at the sheer amount of space it affords. He had the room to navigate freely from seat to seat and row to row. As a full-grown adult, I also found it fairly easy to navigate between the captains' chairs and get comfortable in the third row. I wouldn't recommend putting three adults in the back, but I'd be happy back there for shorter rides, or perfectly relaxed in the second row on long hauls. The Snyder boys were sold. Cat came out to see it, and still wasn't impressed.