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Kia Trail'ster Concept brings traction for the Soul in Chicago

Kia teased its hybrid all-wheel drive Trail'ster concept prior to the 2015 Chicago Auto Show debut, but the company kept some of this off-road Soul's biggest features a secret. Designed both to go off the beaten path and drive efficiently in the city, the company's designers in California added 2.5-inches of extra ground clearance and aluminum skid plates to give the hatchback a more rugged appearance. Drivers can also let the weather into the cabin thanks to a retractable canvas roof. However, the Trail'ster's most intriguing feature is its drivetrain. With a platform still based on the production Soul, up front there's a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with stop/start churning out 185 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque through a six-speed automatic gearbox. The gas engine exclusively runs the front axle; at the rear there's an electric motor with 35 hp and 100 lb-ft with a 1.2-kWh lithium-ion polymer battery under the cargo floor providing assistance. The whole system produces a total output of 220 hp and 285 lb-ft of twist, and the Kia claims, the concept could even run two or three miles purely on electric power. There's no physical connection between the internal combustion engine at the front and electric in the rear. Under low-throttle situations, the electric motor runs exclusively, but under most driving conditions, the all-wheel drive system provides extra traction and a bit more acceleration. Kia claims that if it put this layout into production it would offer 25-30 percent better city fuel economy and a 5-10 percent improvement on the highway compared to the current 2.0-liter powertrain in the Soul. That works about to about 30 miles per gallon city and 34 mpg highway, based on the maximum figures. The automaker isn't saying anything official yet, but it's at least hinting that a system like this could end up in the Soul one day. "The Trail'ster concept is a near-future look at how the production Kia Soul would logically evolve into an AWD-capable version that's built to escape the city streets and roam into the mountain wilderness," Tom Kearns, chief designer at the Kia Design Center of America, said in the model's announcement.

Nuclear deal could make Iran next big car market

Iran is a huge and hugely appealing target for Western firms - it's population is nearly the size of Germany's, it is well educated and includes a substantial middle class, and there is a built-in industrial capability. Because of the sanctions that have been in place for nearly five years now over its nuclear program, however, its citizens and domestic industry haven't been able to purchase and expand, so investment opportunities are not only manifold, they are severely undervalued. Most of the auto industry has been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the Iranian game to start. A report in Automotive News says that Iran's two automakers, Iran Khodro and SAIPA - Societe Anonyme Iranienne de Production Automobile - produced one million light vehicles last year for 77.5 million people. According to Wikipedia there were 200 vehicles per 1,000 citizens in 2012, and that was before the industry took a nosedive. That number puts it between Uruguay and Jamaica. Chery, Kia, Peugeot, and Renault were the carmakers with major operations in-country before all but Chery pulled out. In the vacuum, Chery and other Chinese automakers have thrown lots of product at the market, getting 27 models in a range of segments built or supplied there, with results that are probably best described as ambivalent among observers but financially lucrative for the Chinese. Peugeot has re-established ties, and Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Renault, Toyota, and Volkswagen were attendees at the Iran Auto Show last November. The domestic companies say that this time they want local investment that includes technology transfer, so the Western carmakers that do decide to get in will find tougher negotiators than before. Peugeot, for instance, had a 51-49 partnership with Iran Khodro before pulling out; the new agreement is a 50-50 venture. As a 'gift' to the world for a final deal that encourages global investment, Bloomberg says that the price of crude would go down by $15 per barrel. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images Earnings/Financials Government/Legal Kia Peugeot Renault iran sanctions khodro

Kia GT getting closer to production

The Kia lineup in the US has no lack of stylish models in their respective segments, but the brand's range doesn't have a larger, sporty model to appeal to more enthusiast-minded customers. A fix for that is on the horizon, though, because the official unveiling of the production Kia GT is possibly on the way. Since debuting at the Frankfurt Motor Show way back in 2011, the GT has kept tentatively stepping closer to the showroom. Coming from the pens of Peter Schreyer and his team, the concept presented a fastback, four-door coupe that was motivated by a 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 with 389 horsepower driving the rear wheels. As far back as 2013, the vehicle was reportedly being heavily considered for production, and last year it allegedly finally received the green light. With the four-door GT nearing showrooms, the fate of the similarly sized GT4 Stinger coupe concept likely isn't quite so bright. Kia Motors America Vice President of Product Planning Orth Hedrick recently talked about the future of both vehicles to Australia's Drive. "I think for us the GT is a sedan so it has a lot broader appeal than a two-door coupe. They don't do well here. They do really, really good for 18 months and then they really fall off. You can get just as much emotional experience in a sedan, a more practical car, than a coupe," he said. According to Hedrick, the four-door coupe appeals to younger buyers who are already more interested in cars. These are just the type of people that any brand wants to grab the attention of. Finally seeing the GT in its production guise is a chance that might be on the way, too. "We'll have an announcement soon," he said to Drive.