2012 Kia Optima Sx Sedan 4-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Behold, Kia's Space Babies Super Bowl commercial

Kia is out to answer life's big questions in its ad for the upcoming Super Bowl. Questions like: Where do babies come from? The spot follows one father as he spins a tale to shield his young son from the world of adult truths. The story starts on planet Babylandia, where infants of every species live in peaceful coexistence until they're called to Earth. When that happens, the adorable little beings suit up and take a nine-month journey through space to their new home before parachuting from the heavens. Sure beats that tired old stork yarn.
Oh, and we forgot to mention there's a 2014 Kia Sorento in the spot as well. You can check out the whole shindig below for a quick chuckle. Expect to see the spot air during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, and keep your eyes peeled for the new Forte spot. We hear tell that ad features Alyssa Campanella in a robot get up. No, we don't get it either.

Minivans and hybrids shopped by men and women equally

Men love fast, exotic cars, and women want something safe and practical – at least that is the way conventional thinking goes. But a new study challenges these old beliefs. According to the auto information aggregators at iSeeCars, both sexes shop for minivans and hybrids equally. The study also dug deeper into the different browsing habits between genders. For instance, women are twice as likely to shop for Kia and 67 percent more likely to shop for Hyundai. Men are seven percent more likely to buy American cars. Both sexes shop the German brands equally. It seems that men might be slightly greener in their shopping because they are twice as likely to browse electric cars and two and a half times more likely to look at diesels. Still, the old stereotype of men wanting a more performance-oriented car is not entirely false. They also are more likely to look at cars that cost over $45,000, and men are still more likely to buy a sports car. "Men like fast, flashy cars. They are performance oriented, even if they have to shell out more money," Phong Ly, cofounder and CEO of iSeeCars, said in an interview with CBS MoneyWatch. "Women are looking for the best value." The iSeeCars study got its data directly from dealers and online sellers like eBay Motors, then determined sex based on first name and excluded gender-neutral names. What it shows is that even if men might like browsing for fast cars, practicality and economy win out in the end. It's still fun to look, though. News Source: iSeeCars via CBS News MoneyWatchImage Credit: Shutterstock / Deklofenak Hyundai Kia Car Buying Minivan/Van Electric Hybrid

Kia teases e-AWD Soul concept for Chicago

Kia let slip just a few days ago that it is preparing an outdoorsy concept based on one of its most popular models for the 2015 Chicago Auto Show. After a brief wait, we are getting our first look at an unnamed e-AWD concept – or at least the front third of it. By all accounts, it looks to be rough and tumble version of its popular Soul compact. Beyond some tougher looks, the concept will get some extra oomph from an electric all-wheel drive system. Plus, to fit its inspiration of letting city dwellers go on off-road adventures, the styling wears a few tweaks from Kia's California design studio. The teaser shows off black body cladding around the lower air dam and wheel wells. The headlights also appear blacked-out with white trim around them for contrast, and the orange highlights in the wheels provide some visual pop. We're curious to see if Kia will do anything else for this Soul concept's design and how much power the electric all-wheel drive system adds. With the way the teaser image is tightly cropped, it could be a different bodystyle altogether, from a convertible to a pickup. All will be revealed when the concept is unveiled on Thursday, February 12, at the show. For the moment, we're just happy it appears that Kia is finally formally entertaining the idea of an AWD Soul. Kia Motors America will unveil an advanced and capable electric all-wheel drive (e-AWD) concept vehicle at the upcoming Chicago Auto Show. This bold off-roader was conceived by Kia's California design studio and built for city dwellers seeking the ultimate urban escape. Intended to enable a wide array of outdoor activities from skiing and snowboarding, to camping, hiking and mountain biking, this rugged runabout captures the essence of adventuring at higher elevations with the promise of surefootedness in the wild. Kia's newest concept will be revealed on the Kia stand Thursday, February 12 at 9 AM. See you there. News Source: Kia Design/Style Green Kia Crossover Hatchback Concept Cars Hybrid