kia

Car-focused movies, such as the "Fast and Furious" series, show high-speed chases where the hero hits a nitrous button, causing his car to rear up, the front axle leaving the ground. The 2013 Kia Sportage SX felt a bit like that when I mashed the gas pedal. And it was a front-wheel-drive crossover.

The SX version of the Sportage gets near-uncontrollable power from a turbocharger.

The Sportage, Kia's answer to the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape, checks in as a plump-looking crossover. Cargo area with the rear seat up measures 26.1 cubic feet, enough for a … Read more

Update: Kia released pricing and new details about trim levels on April 19, 2013. The Cadenza wil be available for a base price of $35,100. The Luxury package, referred to in this review as Premium, raises the price to $38,100. Kia set the price of the Technology package Cadenza at $41,100.

Driving the 2014 Kia Cadenza, I contemplated the older-model Mercedes-Benz E320 sitting in front of me, and realized that the Kia had a much better cabin.

The thought of comparing Kia favorably with Mercedes-Benz was unheard of 10 years ago.

Issues of used versus new aside, … Read more

This week our Car Tech team was on-hand at the 2013 New York auto show, busily scouring the floors in order to bring you the best from the event, here in video format.

1. 2014 Kia Soul

The 2014 Kia Soul is the surprise of the 2013 New York auto show and a hit of the "box on wheels" movement, plus it comes stacked with some nifty tech.

The trend for crossover vehicles grew over the last five years, so it is not surprising that Kia's newest concept, set for an unveiling at the Chicago Auto Show, bears the name Cross GT. The big surprise from this concept is that Kia says it is bigger than the 2014 Sorento.

The Cross GT bears a little resemblance to the concept Kia will unveil at the Geneva auto show. It uses similar slim headlight openings and a hatchback-style body. However, the Cross GT's grille looks more like those on Kia production cars and the roofline extends all the … Read more

Following Rolls-Royce's announcement of its new Wraith model for the upcoming International Motor Show in Geneva, Kia offered up relatively clear pictures of, but few details about, a concept car it will put on display.

The body style looks like a three-door hatchback, similar to the European-market Pro Cee'd. In a press release, Kia refers to it as a "provocative and racy new urban concept car." Among concept cars, "Urban" often refers to a compact SUV. However, Kia's new concept, despite some resemblance to Nissan's Juke, appears to sit at hatchback height, … Read more

Google Maps is coming to the Kia Sorento in the next few months.

The automaker announced today that the 2014 Kia Sorento, which is slated to hit the road in the first quarter of this year, will come with Google Maps integration, offering full mapping and driving directions from the search giant. In addition, points of interest will be made available from both Google Maps and Google Places.

Google Maps integration is possible via Kia's second-generation UVO telematics system built into Sorento, a midsize crossover SUV. In addition to incorporating Google Maps and Places information, UVO allows people to … Read more

If I were a betting man, I'd wager that the SEMA Show in Las Vegas is easily the largest aftermarket car show in the world. Hundreds of customized cars (dinged-up daily drivers, glossy show cars, battle-scarred race cars, and bench racing dyno queens) crowd the Las Vegas Convention Center every year. It's nearly impossible to see it all, but that doesn't stop us from trying. So after filling up an SD card with snapshots, we've sorted out the best of the first day for your enjoyment.

The Camaros, Corvettes, Sparks, and Sonics that populated Chevrolet's … Read more

The Batmobile (in all of its various incarnations) is probably as famous as the Batman who pilots it. However, if you should happen to find yourself in New York this week (perhaps for some sort of comic book convention), you'll be able to get a peek at the car that Kia Motors would like to see as the Caped Crusader's next set of wheels: a top-of-the-line Kia Optima SX Limited. Well, they at least got the color right.

Personally, I'd like to think that if Batman were to drive a front-wheel-drive, Korean sports car, he'd be … Read more

BMW started the trend in 2004, offering native integration between car and iPod. Now almost every new car sold has some method of plugging in an iPhone or iPod. This integration is very convenient for drivers, as they can select music from the device through a car's own stereo controls.

However, reports of a smaller, 19-pin connector for the iPhone 5, replacing the current 30-pin connector, may bork iPhone integration with car stereos. Short of getting a new car to match your shiny new iPhone, what is a driver to do?

The good news is that many cars, such as those from Ford, BMW, and Honda, use a standard USB port to connect to the existing white iPhone cable. The new 19-pin connector is likely to use the same sort of adapter cable as current iPhones and iPods, so should plug right in. However, those existing cars may not be able to decode the signal from the iPhone 5 and its connector, depending on how much Apple reengineers its interface.… Read more