2021 Kia Forte Lxs Sedan 4d on 2040-cars

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Feds open investigation into recall of 1.7M Hyundais, Kias

US safety regulators have opened a formal investigation into the recall of nearly 1.7 million vehicles by Hyundai and affiliate Kia over engine defects, according to filings published Saturday. A South Korean whistleblower reported concerns last year to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which will probe the timeliness of three recalls carried out in the United States and whether they covered enough vehicles. Fines could be imposed on the automakers if the NHTSA determines the recalls were not conducted properly. The agency did not immediately comment on the probe. A Hyundai spokesman in Seoul the company "has conducted recalls in compliance with US regulations and procedure" and will "sincerely" cooperate with the investigation. In 2015, Hyundai recalled 470,000 U.S. Sonata sedans, saying engine failure would result in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash. At that time, affiliate Kia did not recall its vehicles, which share the same "Theta II" engines. Kim Gwang-ho, then an engineer at Hyundai, flew to Washington in August 2016 to tell NHTSA the companies should have recalled more vehicles over the problem, citing an internal report. He also reported several alleged safety lapses to both U.S. and South Korean authorities. On March 31, Hyundai expanded its original U.S. recall to 572,000 Sonata and Santa Fe Sport vehicles with "Theta II" engines, citing the same issue involving manufacturing debris, the NHTSA said. On the same day, Kia also recalled 618,160 Optima, Sorento and Sportage vehicles which use the same engine. The recall, which was also conducted in Canada and South Korea, cost the duo 360 billion won ($322.40 million). "TIMELINESS AND SCOPE" According to the filings published Saturday, the agency opened a probe May 18 into "both the timeliness and scope" of the "Theta II" engine recalls and their "compliance with reporting requirements." In August 2014, Hyundai agreed to pay a $17.35 million fine to settle a NHTSA investigation it delayed the recall of 43,500 Genesis cars to fix a brake defect linked to two injuries. NHTSA said in 2014 Hyundai "must change the way they deal with safety-related defects." Hyundai vowed to make improvements to how it handled safety issues after the fine. In 2015, the company retained former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood as an adviser on safety issues.

2024 New York International Auto Show not-so-mega photo gallery

The 2024 New York Auto Show press preview is in the bag and the public show has begun, and that means only one thing: Our work here is done. But really, we've been done since about mid-morning on Wednesday. As you'll see from the paltry selection of galleries below, the 2024 New York Auto Show wasn't much of one. And what there was? Well, in a word, it was Hyundai.  As you scroll through the galleries below, you'll note that we have items from essentially two global conglomerates. In one corner, there's Hyundai, Genesis and Kia. In the other, we have Nissan and Infiniti. But that's being a bit generous to Nissan and its luxury subsidiary, because while this is the first chance we really had to see the Nissan Kicks and Infiniti QX80 in person (and that's not even entirely true of the latter), they weren't actually revealed at the show.  New York has never been America's biggest "international" auto show, but it has been the venue for some big unveilings. In 2012, the new SRT Viper debuted to great fanfare at NYIAS; the Lincoln Aviator made a big splash in 2018; how about the Alfa Romeo 4C in 2014? And those are just cherry-picking from the past decade. By comparison, the 2024 show feels a bit uninspired. Yes, we would have liked to have seen some Vipers. Sue us.  But we'll stop dwelling on what we can't resurrect. There's plenty to see at the show this year if you're planning to go in person, so don't let our negativity deter you. For those who can't be there, here's what you're missing: Genesis G80 Magma View 9 Photos 2025 Genesis G80 Magma Genesis GV60 Magma Concept View 10 Photos 2025 Genesis GV60 Magma 2025 Hyundai Tucson XRT View 14 Photos 2025 Hyundai Tucson 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT View 11 Photos 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz InfinitiQX80-Z63-051 View 39 Photos 2025 Infiniti QX80 2025 Kia K4 Live View 7 Photos 2025 Kia K4 Sedan 2025 Nissan Kicks View 10 Photos 2025 Nissan Kicks     New York Auto Show Genesis Hyundai Infiniti Kia Nissan

Kia provides first details on Soul EV arrival, specs

When Bob Dylan and his guitar-driven poetry embraced the amp in the mid-Sixties, he famously endured cries of "Judas!" from at least one dejected folkie. The Voice Of A Generation had gone electric, and apparently not all of his concert-goers were ready for the transition. We suspect the Kia Soul and its dancing hamsters will have an easier time of it.
In early October, Kia confirmed what had already long been rumored - the Soul is going electric, too, and now it's revealing some initial details and specs. The automaker's mega-popular 'box' car will be the company's first EV sold in North America - or indeed, anywhere outside of its home market (Kia has offered its tiny Ray EV to government fleets in Korea in limited numbers). For the moment, officials aren't saying exactly when the Soul EV will hit its North American dealers, but it has pinned down the "second half of 2014," for global overseas deliveries to begin, so it's fair to assume the car will carry a 2015 model year designation.
Kia is touting "class-leading range" in excess of 120 miles