2015 Kia Sorento Lx on 2040-cars

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Kia Forte and Forte5 bring fresh new duds to Detroit

The Telluride concept may be the biggest news from Kia in Detroit this year, but it's not the only new metal the Korean automaker has on display at Cobo. Alongside it, Kia also rolled out new versions of the Forte. As before, Kia offers the Forte in both sedan and Forte5 hatchback trim, and each got its own set of updates. Both feature distinct front-end styling, with a tiger-nose grille that stretches width-wise to join the more angular headlights and more closely resemble the snout on the all-new Optima. The sedan and hatchback also feature their own unique LED taillights. And inside they both feature a new 7-inch infotainment display powered by Kia's UVO system, soon to support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Forte now comes in three trim levels – based LX, loaded EX and a sporty S (in between the two on the sedan) or SX (at the top of the line for the hatchback). Of course, the sedan ends with a trunk at the back and the hatchback with a liftgate, but they also receive slightly different powertrain options. Every version comes with a 2.0-liter inline four mated to a manual or automatic transmission with six speeds – save for the Forte5 SX. That remains the enthusiast's choice with a 1.6-liter turbo, mated to either a six-speed manual or a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. All that's left now is for Kia to reveal the new two-door Forte Koup, but we'll have to hold on for that to come at a later date. In the meantime, you can scope out the live images of both new models from the floor of the Detroit Auto Show, and watch the full Kia press conference with live reaction below. 2017 Forte overview Compact Sedan Receives Updated Design, New Powertrain and Advanced Tech, Including Android Auto and Apple Car PlayTM - 2017 Forte adds 2.0-liter engine, plus updated six-speed automatic transmission - Advanced driver assistance features including Autonomous Emergency Braking, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Front Collision Warning, and Dynamic Bending Lights3 are newly available - Sporty S trim pumps up Forte's sport factor with exclusive interior and features Irvine, Calif., Jan. 11, 2015 – The Motor City today got an up close look at the refreshed 2017 Forte when Kia Motors America pulled the silk off the updated compact sedan at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Kia Sorento bares its claws for X-Men special edition

We all know what Batman drives. Chrysler even postulated at what Superman would drive with its special Ram Power Wagon. But what would the X-Men drive? According to Kia, the Sorento you see here. Unveiled to promote the release of X-Men: Days of Future Past on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD, this special Sorento has been done up in a unique livery inspired by one of Marvel's superheroes. Just which one, Kia's not saying, inviting fans to vote on its Facebook page – but unless those claws on the front are magnetized, we're pretty sure you can guess. The special Kia Sorento will be displayed at the Australian Open, which Kia is also sponsoring, and will be followed by a video of tennis star Rafael Nadal teaming up with the team of mutants and jumping in the Sorento to take on a patrol of Sentinels. This isn't the first time, of course, that we've seen Kia take inspiration from comic-book superheroes, but its previous collaborations – highlighted by a quintet of show cars unveiled at SEMA two years ago – were with rival DC's Justice League. 'X-Men' inspired Kia Sorento to debut at the Australian Open 2015 - Striking 'Kia X-Car' produced in collaboration with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - Fans to guess the X-Men character behind Kia's latest model on the Kia Facebook page - Grand Slam Champion and 'Superhuman' Kia brand ambassador Rafael Nadal to unveil the 'Kia X-Car' at Australian Open 2015 Seoul: Kia Motors today announced details of a new collaboration with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment to promote X-Men: Days of Future Past on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD and Kia's sponsorship of the Australian Open 2015. The partnership with Fox will see the unveiling of a special X-Men-inspired all-new Kia Sorento one week before the first major tennis championship of 2015 - with Kia's 'superhuman' brand ambassador, tennis star Rafael Nadal, revealing the car. In the run-up to the unveiling of the one-off model, Kia Motors is inviting fans of the X-Men franchise and the Korean car manufacturer to guess which X-Men character has inspired the car's unique design. Visitors who go to the Kia Motors Facebook page at http://bit.ly/KiaXmen can guess from four iconic X-Men characters: Storm, Wolverine, Mystique and Magneto. Fans guessing correctly will be entered into a prize draw to win a DVD copy of X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Kia sold 123 North American Soul EVs in October

How happy were those Kia hamsters last month? We're guessing they were pretty pleased, because reports are out that the South Korean automaker sold 123 Kia Soul electric vehicles in North America during the model's first month of sales on the continent. Now crank up that funky music. Kia sold 109 Soul EVs in the US and another 14 in Canada, Kia-World reports (the site is unaffiliated with the automaker). Kia's expected to move about 5,000 Soul EVs in North America by the end of next year. Kia spokesman James Hope, in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen, said the automaker doesn't specifically disclose the number of gas and electric Soul models it sells in North America. Those volume numbers are on par with lower-volume electric variants of conventional models that are generally positioned as "compliance" vehicles (i.e., vehicles sold specifically to comply with California's zero-emissions vehicle mandate). For instance, the Ford Focus Electric sold 186 units in the US last month, while the Smart ForTwo ED electric moved 150 vehicles. Honda sold 23 Fit EVs in October. The Kia Soul EV has base price of $33,700 and a single-charge range of 93 miles. You can read our Quick Spin impressions of the new EV here.