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What a strike in Korea could mean for US Hyundai and Kia buyers

A prolonged factory strike at Hyundai-Kia factories in South Korea could mean that US dealership inventory of certain vehicles, such as the South Korea-built Hyundai Accent and Kia Soul, could dry up in the coming months, depending on the length of the strike, reports Cars.com's blog, Kicking Tires. The two brands together rank sixth in US sales and fifth in global sales.
Kicking Tires gives fascinating insight into how a production stoppage in South Korea might affect vehicle sales in the US, considering Hyundai-Kia has two factories in the US that build the Kia Sorento and Optima/Optima Hybrid, and the Hyundai Elantra sedan/coupe/GT, Sonata/Sonata Hybrid and Santa Fe/Santa Fe Sport. The only one of these vehicles that's built solely in the US is the Kia Sorento, with the rest of them sharing production with South Korea.
Be sure to read the piece, especially if you're in the market for a Hyundai or Kia, or just interested in global economics.

Kia dealer: Soul EV nothing but a political statement

It looks like Kia of Vancouver didn't get the company memo. While the South Korean company is expanding the sales area for the Soul electric vehicle, management at a Kia dealer in British Columbia's biggest city isn't convinced of the EV's earth-saving and potentially dollar-saving attributes, according to Inside EVs. Managers spelled out their reasoning in a series of alleged e-mails to a prospective customer, and you have to admire their conviction. One of Kia of Vancouver's managers referred to the Soul EV as a "social/political statement," and spelled out his opinion that the model won't help the environment because of what he says is the extra carbon cost to produce an electric battery (a long-debated subject). A second manager from the dealership took a slightly more conciliatory tone but still questioned whether the extra new-vehicle cost would allow for the prospective driver to save money while calling gas-powered cars "more reliable," according to Inside EVs. The automaker isn't happy. "Kia Canada disagrees with the statements made and is in the process of addressing this matter," Kia Canada spokesman Jack Sulymka told AutoblogGreen. The Soul EV just won the first-ever Canadian Green Car of the Year Award, beating out the Honda Fit, Subaru Legacy and Toyota Camry Hybrid in the process. Related Videos: Featured Gallery 2015 Kia Soul EV: Quick Spin View 37 Photos News Source: Inside EVs via Green Car ReportsImage Credit: Drew Phillips Photography Green Kia Electric kia soul ev

Kia previews new minivan ahead of New York debut

Kia has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, but the Sedona has hardly been representative of that maturation. Known in some overseas markets as the Carnival, Kia's current minivan was introduced 2006, withdrawn from US showrooms at the end of 2012, then reintroduced again a year ago. Despite the product renaissance, however, the Sedona is essentially the same dated vehicle it has been for eight years now, but Kia is intent on replacing it.
We've been seeing spy shots of a new Kia minivan for several months now, and broke word a couple of months ago that the finished product would be unveiled in New York this month. Now Kia has not only confirmed the new Sedona's imminent arrival, it has released this teaser image to keep us on our toes.
The teaser shows a vehicle more or less in line with what we'd expect of a modern Kia, tabbed grille and all. This view suggests fewer design cues from the KV7 concept have been carried over than was previously thought, but we'll need to see the entire vehicle to know for sure. Kia isn't saying much about its "all-new midsize multi-purpose vehicle" in the press release below at this point, revealing only that it "will challenge the segment and will offer the functionality to transport as many as eight passengers and their belongings while also serving as a purposeful offering for adventure seekers."