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2015 Kia Soul EV whirrs in to the Windy City

Earlier this week, we got our first glimpse of the 2015 Kia Soul EV out on the road, completely uncovered. And even before then, executive editor Chris Paukert had the opportunity to drive a camouflaged electric Soul prototype on Kia's home turf in Korea. But now, finally, officially, the electron-happy Soul makes its debut at the Chicago Auto Show.
Powering the Soul EV is an 81-kilowatt electric motor that sends 109 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels. That's not immensely powerful, with Kia quoting a 0-60 time of "fewer than 12 seconds," but we're big fans of the instant torque thrust that EVs like the Soul provide. Top speed is electronically limited to approximately 90 miles per hour.
Kia says the Soul EV is good for roughly 80 to 100 miles of driving range.

Hyundai and Kia recalling 1.6M more models for faulty brake switch

In what is likely the largest recall campaign for Hyundai and Kia, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced a recall of more than 1.6 million models due to a faulty brake switch. This is in addition to almost 700,000 Hyundai and Kia models recalled for the same problem back in 2009.
In more than 620,000 Kia models and 1 million Hyundai products for the 2007 through 2011 model years, the brake switch could malfunction causing the brake lights to not illuminate, which could lead to accident. Other possible issues with a faulty switch include the cruise control not cancelling with the brake pedal, the push-button starter not working properly and the shift interlock not disengaging causing the transmission to be stuck in Park. To fix the problem, the brake lights switch will be replaced.
Due to the large number of units being recalled, both automakers are issuing a notice by next month with parts not expected to be ready until June. The full list of affected vehicles and the NHTSA press releases are posted below.

Hyundai finally settles inflated fuel economy claims lawsuit for $41.2 million

Remember when Hyundai and Kia changed their claimed fuel economy numbers for a bunch of models? That happened back in 2012, and Hyundai has finally settled a lawsuit concerning the economy adjustment with a payment of $41.2 million. The lawsuit was filed by 33 state attorneys general, as well as one from Washington D.C. Each state will decide how to use its money from the settlement. According to Hyundai, this settlement was an "amicable agreement," and the company also denies any wrongdoing in changing claimed fuel economy numbers. Hyundai also reports that the agreement was reached, in part, due to the reimbursement program instituted after the economy adjustment. This program allows owners to be reimbursed the extra fuel cost, with payments determined by miles driven. The payments are sent after an owner has an affected car's odometer checked by a dealer. In addition, Hyundai also offered lump-sum payments as an option after the results of a class-action lawsuit. So far, the company reports about 75 percent of eligible owners have participated in the program. This isn't the only major payment Hyundai has made concerning the fuel economy issue. In 2014, Hyundai paid roughly $300 million in fines to the EPA. The company was also sued for inflated fuel economy claims in South Korea. In the US, models affected by the adjustment include the Hyundai Santa Fe, Accent, Veloster, Sonata Hybrid, Tucson, Genesis and Azera, along with the Kia Soul, Rio, Sorento, Sportage and Optima. Related Video: Image Credit: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images Government/Legal Green Hyundai Kia