2013 Kia Forte Ex on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Kia previews off-road Sorento for SEMA

Kia hasn't told us much about what it has in store for us at SEMA this year. But it is giving us a glimpse of what's to come in this latest teaser video. The short clip provides a sneak peek at the PacWet Adventure Sorento, an evidently rough-and-tumble take on the Korean automaker's midsize sport utility vehicle. Just what's going into it remains to be seen, but we can already see part of the package. There's a new tubular and sheetmetal front bumper, a snorkel intake, roof rack, winch, auxiliary lighting, knobby tires, and a Kermit-green paint job. We'd expect some sort of jacked-up suspension, too, considering this custom is for the aftermarket-obsessed crowd at SEMA. Given the brief statements Kia has issued to date, it would appear that the Sortento is just one of a variety of vehicles the company is preparing for the Vegas tuner expo. Each is poised to represent a different American region, and we're looking forward to seeing how the others take shape, as well. Related Video: 10/23/15 2015 SEMA PACWEST ADVENTURE SORENTO TEASER As Kia heads to SEMA 2015 to celebrate the American Road, here's a taste of the PacWest Adventure Sorento, a tough, off-road utility vehicle equipped with custom suspension, snorkel intake system and a paint scheme inspired by the lush forests of the region. ### 10/20/15 Kia Teases SEMA 2015 Kia is headed to this year's SEMA show to celebrate America's love for the open road and the diverse car cultures spanning the many regions of this country. Enjoy this high-speed coast-to-coast tour to whet your appetite for what we will unveil November 3rd in Las Vegas. More to come. #KiaWanderlust

2023 J.D. Power APEAL Study shows new-car customer satisfaction scores slip

J.D. Power survey results have been slightly up but mostly down for automakers this year, literally. In February, the 2023 Vehicle Dependability Study showed an overall decline compared the 2022 a month before the Customer Service Index Study did the same. The trend reversed in June with a better overall score on the 2023 U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration Study than in 2022, then declined again the same month on with a lower overall score on the 2023 Initial Quality Study. The declines continue with the 2023 J.D. Power U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, overall satisfaction among the 84,555 respondents down two points overall compared to 2022, to 845 out of 1,000 points. Because last year's score dropped compared to 2021, this year marks the first consecutive decline in the study's 28-year history. The study tries to "[measure] owners' emotional attachment and level of excitement with new vehicle" after 90 days of ownership by asking new owners to rate 37 attributes in 10 areas around the vehicle, such as the feeling they get when they hit the accelerator. Satisfaction with nine of the attributes is down this year versus last, fuel economy the only segment to show better results with 15 points more satisfaction. Styling and infotainment are big drags on satisfaction. Responses to new car exterior looks tallied 888 points, down from 894 last year, the largest drop in this year's study. On the digital side, less than half of those surveyed this year said they prefer using a manufacturer's built-in infotainment. From 70% of respondents in 2020 preferring to use a manufacturer's in-house software to play audio instead of Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, that's 56% in 2023. Going all-in on Google appears to have the best effect. J.D. Power said that vehicles with both Google's Android Automotive Operating System (AAOS) and Google Automotive Services (GAS) "score higher in the infotainment category than those with no AAOS whatsoever. AAOS without GAS receives the lowest scores for infotainment of the three categories."  Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power, said, "Despite the technology and design innovations that manufacturers put into new vehicles, owners are lukewarm about them. While innovations like charging pads, vehicle apps and advanced audio features should enhance an owner’s experience, this is not the case when problems are experienced.

2015 Kia Soul EV Prototype

Spend a few days chatting with the good people of Seoul about their neighbors to the north, and you'll find a pattern emerges. When they first start talking, South Korea's citizenry speaks openly and ardently about seeking reunification with their North Korean brothers and sisters. Yet once you get beyond casual conversation, you'll find that those hopes and wishes aren't all that they first appear to be. Quite reasonably - and despite everyone's best intentions - there's genuine fear that opening the border with communist North Korea would severely tax South Korea's finances, infrastructure and daily lives. It's almost as if reunification feels like something the general public has to say they want, even if they're really not buying into the reality.
It's kind of like the way American consumers and the media have been crying out for electric and hybrid automobiles, yet when it comes time to vote with their pocketbooks, their hearts just aren't in it. There are potential financial and infrastructure concerns, along with lingering worries about how well EVs will integrate into their daily lives. Today, hybrids and plug-ins make up about three percent of new vehicle sales, and the vast majority of those models are gas-electric models - one in particular. Pure electrics aren't yet even a drop in a very large bucket. It's exactly this uncomfortable dichotomy that rings in our heads as we drive through the traffic in Namyang at the wheel of a 2015 Kia Soul EV prototype.
Of course, one can't blame Kia for developing an electric car - it has California's zero-emissions mandates to meet, regardless of whether the segment's sales suggest there's a sound financial strategy attached. Kia officials we spoke with at this early drive of the company's electrified 'box' car seemed to tacitly acknowledge the Soul EV's difficult business case, but pointed to the company's effort to reduce its CO2 output as part of its reason for being. And besides, their beancounters' industry-wide projection for global EV sales in 2018 is 600,000 units, so there's got to be room to grow, right?