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Kia (Page 5)

Kia

In this section of Torque News you can find the latest news from Kia and news about Kia vehicles. Keith Griffin is the Hyundai/Kia news reporter at Torque News and can be followed on Twitter at IndepthAuto.

Kia became a company in the 1940s but didn’t sell its first car in the U.S. until 1992. It now sells in over 180 countries. Since joining forces with its Korean rival Hyundai in 1998, Kia models have come a long way from what they used to be and are now well-designed vehicles with the latest the industry has to offer.

The combined Hyundai – Kia operation is the fifth largest automaker in the United States. Kia has a manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia where it produces three models: the top-selling Telluride CUV, Sorento CUV, and the new K5 midsize sedan. It also ships vehicles for sale in Canada, Mexico, and Caribbean and Pacific nations.

Here’s a little bit of trivia for you. The word “Kia” is derived from the Chinese characters Ki, meaning to “arise or come up out of” and a, referring to Asia. So when put together, Kia means to “arise or come up out of Asia.”

Kia’s extensive lineup includes sedans and SUVs of all sizes, hatchbacks, a minivan, an all-electric model, hybrids and plug-in hybrids, a quick and sporty four-door hatchback, and a large and very luxurious sedan.

Unlike Hyundai’s more conservative lineup, Kia offers sportier designs and driving dynamics. The quick Stinger GT and Forte GT are fun-to-drive examples while models like the Optima, Sportage, and Telluride offer sleek and sporty looks.

The Telluride, K5 and Forte models are some of the brand’s top sellers. Other models include the Soul hatchback, the Niro hybrid SUV, the Rio, the Sedona minivan, and the Niro EV. The Stinger is Kia’s rear-drive sports car and the Cadenza and K900 big sedans are the brand’s luxurious offerings but have some of the poorest sales in the lineup.

New models include the big three-row Telluride SUV, the compact Seltos SUV, the the Soul EV, and the sporty K5 that replaces the Optima for 2021.

Below is a list of Kia’s models with starting prices (excludes delivery charges):

  • 2021 Kia Seltos – $21,990
  • 2021 Kia Soul – $17,490
  • 2020 Kia Niro – $24,590
  • 2020 Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid – $29,400
  • 2021 Kia Sportage – $23,990
  • 2021 Kia Sorento – $29,390
  • 2021 Kia Telluride – $31,990
  • 2020 Kia Rio – $15,850
  • 2021 Kia Forte – $17,890
  • 2021 Kia K5 – $23,390
  • 2021 Kia Stinger – $33,090
  • 2020 Kia Cadenza – $37,850
  • 2020 Kia K900 – $59,900
  • 2020 Kia Niro EV – $39,090
  • 2021 Kia Soul EV – Discontinued?
  • 2021 Kia Sedona – $30,400
By Justin Hart on January 21, 2023 - 5:38AM
I’ve owned two plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). They are fascinating vehicles. Though they are not the same class (one: the compact 5 door liftback Chevy Volt, the other: the 3 row midsize Kia Sorento SUV), as PHEVs they both could run in electric only mode for significant distances and consume far less gasoline than equivalent gasoline only vehicles. My two PHEVs behaved differently when driven and while I definitely prefer how Chevy implemented its electric drive mode, I believe that Kia has made a more effective PHEV.
By Justin Hart on January 20, 2023 - 4:17PM
Many of us have family and friends that we like to bring with us on journeys far and wide. We load up our companions and equipment and hit the road for: exploration, (re)discovery, togetherness, solitude, (re)connection. How we get there, what we drive, is an important part of the trip. While I don’t really know what’s right for anyone else’s needs other than my own, I can’t help but feel there’s something wrong with our priorities when it comes to plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) in the U.S.
By Justin Hart on January 14, 2023 - 4:48AM
There’s been a decent amount of attention in the news lately about how plug-in hybrids (PHEVS) are not living up to their potential. Primarily, blame gets assigned to drivers for not plugging in enough, then to manufacturers for not designing their vehicles to support intended use in better or easier ways, and also to governments for not aligning incentives appropriately. For the sake of argument, let’s assume that is all true even if it isn’t, exactly.
By Armen Hareyan on January 13, 2023 - 9:08PM
The Kia Telluride, a cousin of the Hyundai Palisade, is getting a good update for 2023. This update includes mechanical and technological advancements that will enhance the driving experience and provide better performance.
By Marc Stern on January 11, 2023 - 3:09PM
Ford's F-150 Lightning electric continues to rack up its share of prestigious automotive awards as the pickup has now been named winner of the North American Truck of the Year Award.
By Justin Hart on January 11, 2023 - 2:40PM
Some may say that 2022 was the year that electric vehicles (EVs) really took off, saleswise, or (finally) began to rapidly increase market share in the U.S. It is certainly true that electric vehicles sold in larger numbers than ever before in the U.S. last year, and almost every automaker is hurriedly bringing new EVs to market too. But how big are these increases really, and which automakers are capturing the most EV market share?
By Justin Hart on January 6, 2023 - 4:25AM
Kia had good news to share about its December 2022 electrified vehicle sales; they were up by 142% year-over-year! However, deciphering the precise sales figures is a little bit tricky because Kia doesn’t separately report sales figures for all of its electrified models. There are also some confusing statements in Kia’s recap of 2022 sales that I’ll dig into later.
By Justin Hart on December 31, 2022 - 5:56AM
As an automotive journalist, I read a lot of articles about cars, especially electrified ones. I also spend a lot of time driving them, having owned nothing but electrified vehicles the last 12 years (15 if you count the 3 years I commuted on an electric bike). There’s a lot of conflicting information out there about how much plug-in cars really lower our emissions or save money and other resources, and depending on what you read, it is easy to get the wrong idea.
By Justin Hart on December 30, 2022 - 5:03AM
Kia has shared teaser images on Twitter of its forthcoming EV9 all electric SUV that show off its shape and defining lines of its profile, as well as a glimpse of its front end. Whether you find the lines striking or not, it is certainly going to cause some stir in the marketplace as the first 3 row, mid-sized, fully electric SUV that will start at under $60,000 MSRP (actually it is expected to start around $50k).
By Justin Hart on December 27, 2022 - 6:41PM
While visiting family for the Christmas holiday, I got a chance to do more road testing of our Kia Sorento plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUV. This time, we put the vehicle through some trials I haven’t been able to attempt before.
By Armen Hareyan on December 26, 2022 - 1:39PM
When it comes to compact SUVs for 2023, two of the most popular choices are the Kia Sportage and the Toyota RAV4. Both vehicles offer ample interior space and cargo capacity, as well as impressive fuel efficiency and convenience features. But which one is the better choice?
By Justin Hart on December 24, 2022 - 4:13AM
Back in April, I took my first long road trip in our Kia Sorento plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and the first leg of that trip was the roughly 60 miles drive to my brother’s house in Olympia, Washington from our house in the Seattle suburbs. Today I just repeated that first leg of the trip to go and visit my brother, but it was done in vastly different conditions this time and I am intrigued by the efficiency figures I ended up with.
By Justin Hart on December 23, 2022 - 4:51AM
Temperatures have ranged from the single digits to the low 20’s F for the last 5 days. We are in the grips of icy winter conditions and there is well over a foot of snow on the ground with more on the way. I packed up my family for a little snow covered getaway in the northwestern tip of the continental U.S. and we’ve chosen our Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) to safely get us there and back. And once more, this vehicle delivered us safe, sound and comfortable to our destination.
By Justin Hart on December 21, 2022 - 1:00AM
Tis the season to load up the family cars and go dashing through the snow! Whether it’s to visit family or just visit the slopes, our people hauling machines get a special workout at this time of the year and my sleigh, the Kia Sorento plug-in hybrid (PHEV), has once again proved it is a capable and comfortable winter ride.
By Justin Hart on December 18, 2022 - 5:49AM
Kia won not one, not two, but three 2023 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards last week. These annual awards go to the “best vehicles for your money” as decided by the editorial team at Kelley Blue Book (KBB) who spend months evaluating, analyzing and testing the new vehicles released each year.
By Justin Hart on December 15, 2022 - 10:41PM
There’s no denying that new vehicles have become terribly expensive in recent years. The average price of all new vehicles for sale in the U.S. is now a little over $48,000. That’s enough to make your head spin, your wallet groan, and your jaw to drop all at once!
By Justin Hart on December 10, 2022 - 4:49AM
Kia recently announced that they are planning to move production of their forthcoming EV9 all electric SUV to their existing U.S. manufacturing plant in the state of Georgia. This is good news both for U.S. consumers because it should create opportunity for better pricing on this highly anticipated Kia vehicle, and for the people of Georgia and Kia’s employees there.
By Justin Hart on December 6, 2022 - 6:29PM
In what I sincerely hope is a thinly veiled U2 reference, the headline of Car and Driver’s recent review of the 2023 Kia Niro plug-in hybrid (PHEV) proclaims that they have found what they’re looking for in this PHEV and that it now “makes a lot more sense”.
By Justin Hart on December 2, 2022 - 6:40PM
Kia has done it again! Their November U.S. auto sales are up more than 25% year-over-year, and set a new record, beating their previous best ever November sales by a healthy 8%. Kia’s electrified vehicle sales were also up 133% year-over-year, but again this is mostly due to increased sales of hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles, and not electric vehicles (EVs).
By Marc Stern on November 29, 2022 - 4:41AM
Now that the weather has turned markedly colder with snow on the ground in many places, it's time to visit a place many automakers won't want you to see, cold weather performance. No matter who makes the vehicles (Ford, Tesla, or Kia, for example), cold saps battery strength. It is estimated that you lose half the charge capability between 40 and 0 degrees Fahrenheit and it just goes down from there.
By Justin Hart on November 27, 2022 - 5:09AM
Once again, Kia has managed to rake in the accolades from J.D. Power. Specifically, Kia has won 5 model awards for ALG Residual Value, which are <em>the automotive industry standard in recognizing vehicle models projected to hold the highest percentage of their manufacturer’s suggested retail price following a three-year period of ownership.</em>
By Justin Hart on November 26, 2022 - 5:11PM
I’ve written up several predictions of which automotive brands will round out the top 5 plug-in electric sales spots (behind 1st place Tesla). Now that we are near the end of another year, we can pretty well see how those predictions turned out, but what does next year have in store for the U.S. plug-in electric vehicle market? Will the same 5 brands retain their lead spots next year too, or will we start to see some shifts?
By Justin Hart on November 24, 2022 - 3:43PM
The next electric vehicle (EV) Kia will launch in the U.S. will be the mid-sized EV9 SUV, which should go on sale in the latter half of 2023. But Kia is planning to launch other new EVs in the next 4 years too. What kinds of EVs should we expect to see from Kia over the next 4 years?
By Justin Hart on November 23, 2022 - 4:25AM
The other day I shared a nice lunch and conversation with an older stranger at a winery. We talked about wine, the stories behind each bottle and label, and after a while the conversation turned to electrified vehicles. He was very interested to hear about my experiences and thoughts as he was considering purchasing his first EV or plug-in hybrid for himself, or possibly for his wife.
By John Goreham on November 21, 2022 - 2:47PM
The X-Pro trim of the 2023 Kia Telluride has six specific features that make it stand apart from the three-row crossover crowd when it comes to winter adventures.
By Justin Hart on November 19, 2022 - 5:13AM
At the 2022 Los Angeles auto show this week Kia premiered its refreshed 2024 Seltos compact SUV for the U.S. market. The new Seltos has a host of new features, design tweaks, additional safety and entertainment technology, more powerful engines, and 3 new colors as well. But one feature is conspicuously absent: there is no electrified version to be found.
By Justin Hart on November 15, 2022 - 3:23PM
I find it interesting that one of the most highly regarded automotive publications in the world, Car and Driver, has essentially contradicted itself when it comes to its assessments of Kia’s two AWD plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUVs: the Kia Sorento and Kia Sportage. The contradiction is right in the headlines for each: one has “zippy performance” and the other “needs more motor”. So which is it C&D?
By Justin Hart on November 11, 2022 - 6:10AM
When I was shopping for a three row plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or electric SUV, I had four choices on my shopping list: the Kia Sorento PHEV, the 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, the Volvo XC90 Recharge, and the Tesla Model Y. I most seriously considered the first two options, due to price. Here’s the on paper comparisons that helped me choose one over the other.
By Justin Hart on November 9, 2022 - 3:16AM
Last month, Kia and Hyundai achieved all-time record hybrid vehicle sales in the U.S. While this news may be a sign of improved supply chains, specifically for automotive grade microchips, it also raises interesting questions about the effectiveness of the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and raises doubt that the South Korean brands will continue to vie for leadership in the electric vehicle (EV) market space, in the near term.
By Justin Hart on November 5, 2022 - 5:18AM
Kia confirmed, in March of this year, that it was going to build two new electric pickups and that they would be unveiled as part of a collection of 14 new electric models, by 2027. Now, keen observers have spotted what may be an early prototype or a test mule and there is a lot of information we may be able to glean from this early spotting.