2012 Kia Optima Ex on 2040-cars

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Kia putting GT Concept into production, roadster concept due in Detroit

If you were enamored of the GT concept that Kia unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show two years ago, we've got good news for you. According to the latest reports, Kia is planning on putting it into production.
The big question at this point is how closely the production model will shadow the four-door coupe concept. The svelte shape will undoubtedly have to make some concessions toward roadworthiness and production feasibility, but just what platform Kia will use to underpin it remains unknown. It could base it off the large, rear-drive K9 or borrow the platform from sister-company Hyundai's Genesis Coupe. Either of those options would enable the production Kia GT to keep the concept's rear-drive orientation, but other routes would make it either front-drive or potentially all-wheel drive.
Word has it also that Kia is planning to reveal a small roadster concept in the mold of the Mazda MX-5 at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show in January. If public feedback is positive enough, that could see production before the end of next year as well.

Hyundai finally settles inflated fuel economy claims lawsuit for $41.2 million

Remember when Hyundai and Kia changed their claimed fuel economy numbers for a bunch of models? That happened back in 2012, and Hyundai has finally settled a lawsuit concerning the economy adjustment with a payment of $41.2 million. The lawsuit was filed by 33 state attorneys general, as well as one from Washington D.C. Each state will decide how to use its money from the settlement. According to Hyundai, this settlement was an "amicable agreement," and the company also denies any wrongdoing in changing claimed fuel economy numbers. Hyundai also reports that the agreement was reached, in part, due to the reimbursement program instituted after the economy adjustment. This program allows owners to be reimbursed the extra fuel cost, with payments determined by miles driven. The payments are sent after an owner has an affected car's odometer checked by a dealer. In addition, Hyundai also offered lump-sum payments as an option after the results of a class-action lawsuit. So far, the company reports about 75 percent of eligible owners have participated in the program. This isn't the only major payment Hyundai has made concerning the fuel economy issue. In 2014, Hyundai paid roughly $300 million in fines to the EPA. The company was also sued for inflated fuel economy claims in South Korea. In the US, models affected by the adjustment include the Hyundai Santa Fe, Accent, Veloster, Sonata Hybrid, Tucson, Genesis and Azera, along with the Kia Soul, Rio, Sorento, Sportage and Optima. Related Video: Image Credit: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images Government/Legal Green Hyundai Kia

2017 Kia Cadenza First Drive

"Garbanzo? Costanza? Credenza?" I can't tell if the guy at the bakery is trying to be funny or if he's genuinely forgetting the name of the car – I've told him twice; it's the 2017 Kia Cadenza. But you know, maybe the miscommunication is just fine. Like the Cadenza itself. It's fine. You shouldn't read that negatively. Every now and then in this job, you drive a car and simply come away thinking, "it was fine." And if you're building a car in this particular segment, that's practically the response you hope to elicit. A comfortable jack-of-all-trades at a price that isn't going to bankrupt the owner. Consider the Cadenza's competition: Toyota Avalon, Nissan Maxima, Chevrolet Impala, Buick LaCrosse. These aren't groundbreaking luxury vehicles, masters of utility or fuel economy, or Nurburgring-smashing sports sedans; they're... fine. You almost feel bad saying it – from a very reasonable angle it's a great segment, populated with cars offering a lot of the same equipment and a little more bang for the buck than a full-on luxury sedan, and tending to be roomier, too. And yet it's that dilution of dedicated purpose that keeps these models stagnant in showrooms compared to the more luxurious – and certainly to the more economical. It's hard to raise an eyebrow here. So it goes with the Cadenza. Despite looking a heck of a lot like the previous car, the new Cadenza has been reworked significantly – the use of high-strength steel has doubled, to over 50 percent; the use of hot-stamped steel has tripled; the doors are 16 percent more dent-resistant; the chassis has 35 percent greater torsional rigidity; there's a new subframe (similar to that of the Optima); the front windows are now laminated and there's 13 percent more sound insulation in the A-pillars; there's a full underbody cover and wheel air curtains; it has a new eight-speed transmission – developed in-house; there are 40 fewer pounds of unsprung weight thanks to aluminum parts; the brakes are bigger; and there's a bevy of upscale tech features – but we lost you halfway through that paragraph. The styling is a little sharper than the outgoing model's – it's not going to blow your pants off, but it's hardly a bad-looking car. The updated design features Kia's now-trademark quad-LED setup within the lower front grilles, and the main grille is a concave affair – base models get a "Diamond Butterfly" insert you know from other Kia models, and higher-end Cadenzas get "Intaglio" vertical slats.