2011 Kia Sorento Lx on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Minivans and hybrids shopped by men and women equally

Men love fast, exotic cars, and women want something safe and practical – at least that is the way conventional thinking goes. But a new study challenges these old beliefs. According to the auto information aggregators at iSeeCars, both sexes shop for minivans and hybrids equally. The study also dug deeper into the different browsing habits between genders. For instance, women are twice as likely to shop for Kia and 67 percent more likely to shop for Hyundai. Men are seven percent more likely to buy American cars. Both sexes shop the German brands equally. It seems that men might be slightly greener in their shopping because they are twice as likely to browse electric cars and two and a half times more likely to look at diesels. Still, the old stereotype of men wanting a more performance-oriented car is not entirely false. They also are more likely to look at cars that cost over $45,000, and men are still more likely to buy a sports car. "Men like fast, flashy cars. They are performance oriented, even if they have to shell out more money," Phong Ly, cofounder and CEO of iSeeCars, said in an interview with CBS MoneyWatch. "Women are looking for the best value." The iSeeCars study got its data directly from dealers and online sellers like eBay Motors, then determined sex based on first name and excluded gender-neutral names. What it shows is that even if men might like browsing for fast cars, practicality and economy win out in the end. It's still fun to look, though. News Source: iSeeCars via CBS News MoneyWatchImage Credit: Shutterstock / Deklofenak Hyundai Kia Car Buying Minivan/Van Electric Hybrid

Kia GT4 Stinger concept headed for Detroit with 315 rear-drive horsepower

With reveals expected to include the 2015 Ford F-150, the new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and the high-strung Lexus RC F performance coupe (among many others), there are plenty of vehicles we're looking forward to seeing at the Detroit Auto Show. But now, with a rendered teaser image and short press release that includes some savory details, Kia may have just hit the top of our list with its GT4 Stinger Concept. Not even looking at the above image (which you can click to enlarge), Kia managed to grab our interest with just one sentence in said release detailing the car's powertrain: "A turbocharged 2.0-liter that pumps 315 horsepower to the rear wheels."
This low, wide concept has the face of a Kia-fied Audi R8, but the previous teaser stated that the concept will be a 2+2 hatchback. There is little other information to go on, but we'll see the concept car live in just 10 days. Until then, scroll down for the brief press release.

Kia Soul EV will plug into Sky DC fast chargers, EZ-Charge network

As Kia gets ready to introduce its first plug-in vehicle to the US market, the 2015 Soul EV, it is also prepping some infrastructure improvements. The company announced today that it is partnering with Greenlots and ABB on offering Greenlots' Sky Smart Charging DC fast chargers at some West Coast Kia dealerships. Greenlots president Brett Hauser told AutoblogGreen that the program will expand to the East Coast in the future. While we don't yet know all of the monetary details quite yet – Kia says that "pricing structures and incentives" for the new EV will be coming later this month – but it appears that Soul EV buyers will be able to access the EZ-Charge network and there will also be something called a Kia ChargeUp card available. The CHAdeMO-compatible Soul EV is due to arrive in the third quarter of 2014 and the Korean company has high hopes for the car in the US. Take a closer look at the car in this video and read the announcement below. Greenlots is a San Francisco-based company that is trying to make vehicle charging as easy and open as possible. Last year, it helped with the installation of 13 DC fast chargers in the greater Vancouver, BC area. Kia Motors America Selects Greenlots to Provide EV Charging Access and Networking for 2015 Soul EV Rollout Kia to rollout Greenlots' SKY Smart Charging™ platform for seamless charging experience. SAN FRANCISCO – September 2, 2014 – Greenlots, a global provider of open standards-based technology solutions for electric vehicle (EV) networks, is partnering with Kia Motors America (KMA) and ABB, a global leader in power and automation technologies, to offer DC fast-chargers (DCFCs) at select Kia dealerships on the West Coast for the soon-to-launch 2015 Kia Soul EV. The partnership illustrates the increasing role interoperability among EV charging technology networks plays in meeting pricing flexibility demands from automakers and providing a seamless experience for EV owners. Unveiled in February 2014 at the Chicago Auto Show and rolling out in the third quarter of 2014, the Kia Soul EV is the centerpiece of Kia's Clean Mobility program, and bolsters KMA's line of environmentally conscious vehicles offering drivers an alternative to gasoline-powered transportation. The 2015 Soul EV is Kia's first ever all-electric, zero-emissions car to be sold in the U.S. Beginning in the third quarter of 2014, Kia will roll out Greenlots' SKY Smart Charging™ platform to its dealerships in California.