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Pope Francis chauffeured around Korea in a Kia Soul

Korea is not without its domestic automobiles that would be suitable for transporting a visiting head of state: the Hyundai Equus comes to mind. Failing that, a Genesis sedan would do the trick. Maybe even a Kia K900 or a Renault Samsung SM7. But those familiar with Pope Francis and his taste in transportation won't be surprised that His Holiness has chosen something decidedly more modest for his visit to South Korea.
Instead of a more luxurious sedan, the Bishop of Rome has elected to be driven in a Kia Soul, giving the high-roofed hatchback a bigger boost (in the Catholic world, at least) than any quantity of animated hamsters ever could.
The Soul, which was likely reinforced somewhat if the Swiss Guard got its way, was ready for the Holy Father upon his arrival. Francis slid into the back, rolled down the window and waved back at the welcoming party, including President Park Geun-hye. The Pope will reportedly be driven around in the Kia over the course of his five-day visit.

Kia launching Uvo 2.0 in 2014 Sorento

Along with all the new model introductions hitting the stages of the LA Auto Show, automakers made plenty of announcements in regards to technology heading into the show. Chevrolet's MyLink will be adding Siri and Ford is reportedly preparing some more updates for its MyFord Touch and My Lincoln Touch, but now Kia has announced that it will be releasing the next version of its Uvo infotainment system in the 2014 Kia Sorento and later in other Kia models including the redesigned 2014 Forte.
Uvo is Kia's hands-free infotainment system, and now it will be adding a telematics "eServices" system including vehicle diagnostics, a parking location reminder for drivers and 911 Connect. Officially called Uvo eServices Infotainment System with Voice Command Navigation, this is essentially the "version 2.0" for Uvo, which came with voice recognition and hands-free control of mobile phones when it was introduced in 2010.
When the 2014 Sorento goes on sale, the new Uvo will only be compatible with iPhones, but Android phones are expected to work by the second quarter. Scroll down for Kia's press release on the updated Uvo system.

Consumer Reports says infotainment systems 'growing first-year reliability plague'

The Consumer Reports Annual Auto Reliability Survey (right) is out, and the top two spots look much the same as last year's list with Lexus and Toyota in first and second place, respectively. However, there are some major shakeups for 2014, with Acura plunging eight spots from third in 2013 to 11th this year, and Mazda replaces it on the lowest step of the podium. Honda and Audi round out the top five. This year's list includes six Japanese brands in the top 10, two Europeans, one America and one Korean.
Acura isn't the only one taking a tumble, though. Infiniti is the biggest loser this year by dropping 14 spots to 20th place. Other big losses come from Mercedes-Benz with an 11-place fall to 24th, and GMC, which declines 10 positions to 19th.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's not traditional mechanical bugs hauling down these automaker's reliability scores. Instead, pesky problems with infotainment systems are taking a series toll on the rankings. According to Consumer Reports, complaints about "in-car electronics" were the most grumbled about element in new cars. Problem areas included things like unresponsive touchscreens, issues pairing phones and multi-use controllers that refused to work right.