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Dancer who portrays Kia hamster accused of disability fraud

Tsk, tsk, dancing hamster. Kia's trio of anthropomorphic rodents may be down a member, as the actor that portrays one of the dancing hamsters has been arrested on charges of disability fraud. According to The Huffington Post, 27-year-old LeRoy Barnes accepted over $51,000 in disability payments following a workplace injury in 2010. While accepting the money, he's accused of performing under aliases, in addition to his costumed work for Kia. "Fraudulently collecting disability benefits is not only illegal, it disrespects legitimately injured Californians who are unable to work," Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said in a release obtained by HuffPo. Barnes was arrested back in March and posted $50,000 in bail the following day.

2018 Kia Stinger GT AWD Review: A 1,400-mile grand tour in Kia's grand tourer

They call the 2018 Kia Stinger a GT. It's powerful and sleek with a low-slung seating position, quick steering and, even with all-wheel drive, a tail-happy nature. It looks killer in red. And with its V6-powered engine, the letters GT are even festooned upon its liftgate. Well, that's nice, but how does it actually deliver on the grand-tourer formula of rapid, comfortable and stylish transportation? Well, to find out, I put the Stinger GT to a grand-touring test. Starting in the western Rockies and the remote ski town of Crested Butte, Colo., my destination would be home in Portland, Ore. The Google-suggested way is 18 hours on mostly Interstates 70, 15 and 84. However, interstates are boring and are better suited to a perfectly capable but utterly soulless family transportation appliance. A proper grand tour should include two-lane highways and scenic detours, so that's exactly what I'd do. It would add hours and miles, but also, most hopefully, a vastly more memorable experience. Well, as my photos will attest, the scenery didn't disappoint. And, as you'll see in the videos, neither did the Stinger. Episode 1: Setting Off Episode 2: It's a hatchback! Crested Butte, Colo., to Moab, Utah Crested Butte is way off the beaten path, a charming mountain village deep in the western Colorado Rockies mostly free from the usual uber-commercial, Disney-like feel of ritzier, easier-accessed ski towns. Its main street thoroughfare, authentically Western rather than engineered to be so, is surrounded by scattered subdivisions and majestic mountains beyond. It had been buried in 9 feet of snow just a few weeks prior. The local citizenry didn't seem particularly bothered by that. Though most of that 9 feet had melted, the ground was still very much white, requiring the Stinger GT to shed its usual summer rubber in favor of Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 winter tires. These are specifically intended for performance car applications like the Stinger, sacrificing just a smidge of icy traction in favor of superior handling and steering feel when on dry pavement. There's no need to delay the verdict here: after 1,400 miles, the Stinger felt just as generally compelling and dynamic on the Alpins as when I drove it last November in Southern California on summer tires. The other half of the Stinger's snow defense is the GT's optional all-wheel-drive system, which adds $2,000 to its price tag (as-tested $52,300).

2021 Kia Seltos fuel economy revealed at up to 31 mpg combined

The 2021 Kia Seltos made its official debut in the U.S. just a couple months ago at the L.A. Auto Show. Now its fuel economy numbers have been published by the EPA. The compact crossover's numbers are roughly on par with its smaller Soul sibling and significantly better than the larger Sportage. The Seltos is available with two different engines, a 146-horsepower naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder coupled to a CVT, and a 175-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder with a dual-clutch transmission. The former is available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, while the latter only comes with all-wheel drive. Unsurprisingly, the most efficient model is the front-drive 2.0-liter with city fuel economy of 29 mpg, highway economy of 34, and 31 combined. Adding all-wheel drive drops those numbers to 27 in town, 31 on the highway, and 29 combined. The turbo Seltos brings up the rear with 25 mpg in the city, 30 on the highway and 27 combined. Compared with its smaller sibling, the Soul, the Seltos performs impressively, with the front-drive model matching the Soul Eco Dynamics combined fuel economy of 31 mpg. On the other hand, the turbo Soul's 29 mpg combined rating is better than the turbo Seltos. The turbo Seltos does have all-wheel drive, which the turbo Soul lacks. In fact, no Soul is available with all-wheel drive, a worthy selling point for the Seltos. When comparing the Seltos numbers to the bigger Sportage, which also offers all-wheel drive, every version of the Seltos outperforms the best Sportage's combined fuel economy number of 26 mpg. Comparing the Seltos with other small crossovers, it fares well. Looking at front-drive competitors, only the much more expensive Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid and the smaller, cheaper Nissan Kicks and Hyundai Venue top the Seltos in fuel economy. The Buick Encore ties it. With all-wheel drive, the Seltos is also competitive. The non-hybrid Subaru Crosstrek's 30 mpg combined beats the Seltos by just one, and the Honda HR-V is tied with the Kia. The 2020 Kia Seltos will go on sale early this year. The base price will be below $22,000. Related Video: