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Kia (Page 9)

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 July 2, 2022 - 8:32AM
Bloomberg.com’s U.S. Edition recently declared that the “hottest” electric cars on sale in the U.S. are no longer Teslas. Rather, they suggest that the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 are the EVs capturing the most attention, lately.
By Justin Hart on June 28, 2022 - 3:53AM
In March this year, Kia recalled a small number of Sorento Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrids manufactured between July 12th and July 28th, 2021 for a potentially dangerous issue with their seat belts. Now the recall is expanding with new VIN numbers being included in the recall as of today.
By Justin Hart on June 26, 2022 - 10:10PM
The first reviews of Kia’s newest plug-in hybrid, the 2023 Sportage PHEV, have come out in European media. Unsurprisingly, the reviews tend to be similar to what I and others in the U.S. have said about the larger Sorento PHEV which came out last year. For the sake of U.S. shoppers interested in Kia’s slightly smaller 2 row PHEV, coming sometime in Q3, I have pulled together a few new details from the first European driving reviews.
By Justin Hart on June 24, 2022 - 1:26PM
Earlier this week the largest electric vehicle battery maker in the world, Chinese manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL), announced it is supplying South Korean automaker Kia with batteries for its electric vehicle (EV) lineup.
By Justin Hart on June 20, 2022 - 4:13AM
The other day I revisited a battery only driving range test in my 2022 Kia Sorento plug-in hybrid (PHEV). This time through the test, I drove as hard as I could without forcing the Sorento out of its battery-only EV mode and compared my range to my previous test in which I drove as gently as possible to try and achieve maximum EV range.
By Justin Hart on June 18, 2022 - 1:46PM
Earlier this week, Kia announced small price increases on two of its non-electrified models for the 2023 model year in the U.S. market, the Seltos subcompact SUV and Carnival minivan. These price increases are all less than $1,000, due to inflation and increased shipping costs, and don’t necessarily affect all trim levels of these models. But it begs the question: Will Kia be raising prices on its other models soon too?
By Justin Hart on June 17, 2022 - 2:19PM
Conspicuously, Bloomberg Intelligence has completely ignored one of the largest and fastest growing electric vehicle (EV) producers in the world in its recent business intelligence piece on global battery-electric vehicles sales. More accurately, I should say they ignored two of the largest and fastest growing companies, Kia and Hyundai, which are so closely tied we can justifiably consider them as one company.
By James Walker on June 15, 2022 - 9:30AM
Kia's high-performance electric flagship will debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed later this month.
By Justin Hart on June 14, 2022 - 3:45AM
I was scrolling through social media, reading about people’s experience with battery-only range in their Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrids (PHEV), as well as other PHEVS like the Chevy Volt, Kia Niro, and Rav 4 Prime. And then I realized, I have yet to do a test where I see just how far I can go on a full charge, intentionally trying to maximize every mile I can get.
By Armen Hareyan on June 11, 2022 - 6:12PM
Today the midsize SUV market is one of the most competitive and one of the vehicles that really stands out in this segment is the Kia Sorento, a very good option offered by the Korean automaker. This week Torque news is reviewing the top X-Line SX-Prestige AWD trim of the 2022 Sorento SUV.
By Justin Hart on June 10, 2022 - 11:49AM
Someone on social media asked me whether I might know when Kia would lose its eligibility for the U.S. federal Qualified Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) Tax Credit of up to $7,500 on its plug-in vehicles. This incentive automatically begins phasing out in the second quarter following the calendar quarter in which 200,000 qualified plug-in electric vehicles have been sold by the manufacturer, cumulatively.
By Justin Hart on June 9, 2022 - 11:42AM
Back in March, before I got a busted window replaced in my Kia Sorento plug-in hybrid (PHEV), I hadn’t taken many long drives and as a result had a stellar per mile fuel cost for the first 1,000 or so miles I drove. That cost was 5 cents per mile combined (gas and electric). But now I have taken multiple long road trips and it's time to update my figures.
By Justin Hart on June 6, 2022 - 3:12AM
Not too long ago, I speculated about the possible electrification of the Kia Carnival minivan, or MPV if you’re picky. Apparently, Kia may be getting close to releasing a hybrid Carnival, as soon as next year in fact.
By Justin Hart on June 3, 2022 - 3:25AM
Kia just released their U.S. vehicle sales information for May 2022. While overall Kia sales were down in the U.S. for the month of May, as they are for year to date, Kia’s electrified vehicle sales were up, in some significant ways.
By Justin Hart on June 1, 2022 - 3:45PM
I recently saw some spy shots of a camouflaged Kia EV9 out and about in the real world, which is exciting news. It made me think: what if I had the opportunity to take a road trip in an all electric EV9? How would it be different from the same road trip in a 2022 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), the closest electrified vehicle Kia currently sells to the EV9?
By Justin Hart on May 28, 2022 - 3:02AM
After wrapping up roughly a week of vacation on the Oregon Coast, we head out from Rockaway Beach with a full battery charge and just over ¼ tank of gasoline. A few miles later, at our first gas stop so far, our Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) has achieved about the same fuel efficiency as a Toyota Prius even at 1,500 pounds heavier and with a significantly larger footprint.
By John Goreham on May 27, 2022 - 9:36AM
We drive and review the all-new Kia EV6, and find that the newest battery electric vehicle from Kia has broad appeal.
By Justin Hart on May 26, 2022 - 11:08AM
My family and I are spending a week on the Oregon coast. Our Airbnb host gave us the okay to plug in our Kia Sorento PHEV and we also made use of public charging options, when convenient. By charging up at least once every day so far, we have stretched a single tank of gas (12.4 gallons) to over 600 miles of total range.
By John Goreham on May 23, 2022 - 12:06PM
Kia has updated the Soul line. Here are the updates and improvements that you can expect for 2023.
By Justin Hart on May 22, 2022 - 1:42PM
Today I drove a skosh over 223 miles in my 2022 Kia Sorento plug-in hybrid (PHEV), from the Seattle area to Rockaway Beach, Oregon, with about 750 pounds of people and cargo on board plus a 12.5 ft stand up paddle board strapped to my roof racks. My fuel efficiency was about 37.2 miles per gallon (factoring in the miles I drove solely on electric), which is, in short, impressive.
By Justin Hart on May 21, 2022 - 11:46AM
Kia has announced plans to begin construction of its first electric Purpose Built Vehicle (PBV) plant in South Korea in 2023. This plant is part of their Plan S strategy and will be located within their existing Hwaseong plant. Kia’s goal in Plan S is to become a global leader in sustainable mobility solutions.
By Justin Hart on May 19, 2022 - 10:51AM
Kia has done it again! With last week’s announcement of the EV6 model winning yet another important automotive press accolade, the automaker undoubtedly has a verifiable hit on its hands.
By Justin Hart on May 15, 2022 - 2:40PM
How do the Kia EV6 and Nissan Ariya compare, specs wise? Are they comparable vehicles? Is one more likely to be a sales hit? Let’s take a few moments to ponder the two, on paper, focusing on a few of the features that may matter most to potential buyers.
By Justin Hart on May 13, 2022 - 1:42PM
It took much less time than I thought it might, but Kia has achieved the number two spot in the U.S. EV sales race, second only to Tesla (of course).
By Justin Hart on May 12, 2022 - 3:32AM
Before you buy a plug-in vehicle, it’s probably worth doing some research into where, besides your own home or perhaps your workplace, you can recharge your vehicle. Frankly, to not do so is somewhat reckless, since there are a number of regions in the country where your options for public charging may be limited.
By Justin Hart on May 7, 2022 - 6:25PM
So, you have decided you want to buy a Kia SUV or crossover (or for the sake of argument I’ll pretend you did). You also want this purchase to be electrified, because you care about air quality, climate change, the bottom line, or just efficiency. So which of Kia’s electrified options might suit you the best?
By Justin Hart on May 6, 2022 - 1:15PM
Though Kia’s overall U.S. sales were down last month, the silver lining is that Kia’s electrified vehicle sales continue to set records, month after month. What’s more, Kia’s electrified sales records were not just narrowly exceeded, they were absolutely shattered.
By Justin Hart on May 3, 2022 - 11:40AM
The Korea Herald recently reported Q1 “eco-friendly” car exports for Kia and Hyundai. As far as I can tell most (but not all) of Kia’s new plug-in vehicles exported outside of South Korea are destined for either Europe or North America. At least some percentage goes to other parts of the world (Australia, for example). What I want to know is: how many plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) is Kia delivering in North America?
By Justin Hart on April 30, 2022 - 2:55PM
Kia, via its sister company Hyundai, is ranked among the best automotive brands for its Lane Keep Assist features according to Consumer Reports. Kia uses the same or similar systems as Hyundai. Two of Kia’s best selling family vehicles, the Sorento and Telluride, offer a suite of Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS), but there are differences in feature availability between them. These models are often cross-shopped and safety feature availability/performance may be a key decision factor for some.
By Justin Hart on April 25, 2022 - 11:52PM
My family and I just spent a few days exploring the wines and landscape of the Red Mountain AVA (American Viticultural Area) in our 2022 Kia Sorento PHEV and managed to learn a few things about the wine, the region, and a few more things about the features of our Sorento in the process.