2013 Kia Optima 4dr Sdn Lx on 2040-cars

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Kia America shuffles executives

Kia announced a sudden and massive shuffle of its most senior executives in North America, including the resignation of its CEO and new roles for some of his top lieutenants. The biggest change is the departure of Byung Mo Ahn, who had until now served as both CEO of Kia Motors America and head of the company's manufacturing operations in Georgia, as well as a group vice chairman. Ahn is stepping down from all three positions with immediate effect, but will stay on in an advisory capacity. In his place, Jang Won Sohn moves from his previous post as a senior vice president at the home office to take over Kia Motors America. The task of running Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia will fall to Hyun Jong Shin, currently the plant's executive vice president and chief operating officer. Along with those replacements, Kia promoted Michael Sprague (pictured) to the newly created position of COO and executive vice president for Kia Motors America – a step up from his current title as EVP of sales and marketing. He reports directly to Sohn and takes over responsibility for product planning as well as sales, marketing and service. KIA MOTORS AMERICA STATEMENT REGARDING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES Effective immediately, the Group Vice Chairman and CEO of Kia Motors America (KMA) and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG), Byung Mo Ahn, has left these positions and will become a company advisor. Jang Won Sohn, formerly a Senior Vice President at KMC, assumes the position of President and CEO of KMA, and Hyun Jong Shin, formerly KMMG's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, assumes the position of President and CEO of KMMG. Michael Sprague, formerly KMA's Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, has been appointed to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer and EVP of KMA, reporting directly to Mr. Sohn, and will serve as the central point of contact for all sales, marketing, service and product planning functions.

2014 Kia Sedona rises from the dead, same as it ever was

Don't throw away your car seats just yet, Korean minivan enthusiasts - the Kia Sedona is back on the market. If you recall, Kia killed its minivan offering at the end of 2012 (there was never a 2013 model). But here's what's making us scratch our heads: Despite the fact that Kia did confirm that the Sedona would eventually be back, we were under the impression that it would return with a proper replacement for the aging van. (Earlier reports suggested something along the lines of that cool KV7 concept.) Instead, the reincarnated Korean minivan you see here is, well, the same as it ever was. Consider our buzz killed.
That's not to say there haven't been a couple of delightfully refreshed bits thrown into the new package. For starters, the Sedona wears a slightly updated schnoz with a redesigned grille, LED positioning lamps and standard foglamps inside the reworked lower fascia. (If we're honest, the Kia looks a bit Ford Windstar-ish from the front three-quarter angle.) There's a new 17-inch wheel design for the 2014 model year, and aside from a couple enhancements to the interior in terms of storage, that short list rounds out the full extent of the new updates.
All Sedonas are powered by the same 3.5-liter V6 that debuted in the 2011 model, producing 269 horsepower and 246 pound-feet of torque, mated exclusively to a six-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy ratings fall in at a rather mediocre 17/24 miles per gallon (city/highway).

In the Kia Niro Super Bowl ad, no good deed goes unpunished

After a few teasers, we finally get to see Kia's Super Bowl ad for the Niro hybrid. The ad shows Melissa McCarthy rushing off to all corners of the world to help environmental causes of all types. As soon as a call comes over the speakers of her navy blue Niro, she's ready to go. Unfortunately, as you'll see in the video above, none of her experiences go according to plan. She has a close encounter with a whale that sends her flying, rides a tree down to the ground while trying to save it, and runs from an angry rhino. The end message is that "it's hard to be an eco warrior, but it's easy to drive like one." The ad is admittedly funny, but the end message isn't exactly ideal. Fuel-sipping cars like the Niro are generally better for the environment than thirstier machines, but it's a little disappointing to see it proposed as a viable alternative to actual volunteer work to help the environment. It's a bit like wanting to go overseas to help people in struggling countries, but deciding it's too hard and buying a Fair-Trade chocolate bar instead. But hey, it's just a Super Bowl commercial, so we're probably overthinking this. And if you liked the commercial, or maybe you're just a Melissa McCarthy fan, Kia will be giving away 40 props from the commercials. You can win one of them by chatting with the NiroBot chatbot on Facebook Messenger, which provides information about the car. Related Video: