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Acura Integra, Ford F-150 Lightning, Kia EV6 win 2023 North American Car, Truck, Utility Vehicle of the Year

After much testing and deliberation, the winners have 2023 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) Awards have been announced. Previously whittled down to three finalists in each category over the course of the past year, the 2023 NACTOY winners are as follows: 2023 North American Car of the Year: Acura Integra 2022 Acura Integra A-Spec front low View 38 Photos The Acura Integra has won in this year's Car category, beating out the Hyundai Genesis Electrified G80 and Nissan Z. The Integra nameplate has been revived for the 2023 model year, with the Honda Civic-based sedan offering an affordable sport compact from the luxury brand. You can read our First Drive review of the Acura Integra here. 2023 North American Truck of the Year: Ford F-150 Lightning Ford F-150 Lightning front low View 48 Photos The Ford F-150 Lightning has taken the award in the Truck category, knocking out the other two finalists, the Chevy Silverado ZR2 and the Lordstown Endurance. It was interesting to see two all-electric contenders in the pickup field, one based on a legacy platform, and the other coming from a new company and using novel, in-wheel motor technology. It's Ford's third NACTOY Truck win a row. The battery-powered Ford F-150 Lightning is the most powerful F-150 to ever roll off the factory floor, and it has proven itself to be wildly popular, and for good reason. You can read more about it in our First Drive review. or our buying guide. Also worth noting is that the truck's Onboard Scales and Smart Hitch technology won Autoblog's 2022 Technology of the Year Award. 2023 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year: Kia EV6 2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD front three quarter mid View 35 Photos Kia EV6 has taken the top spot in the Utility Vehicle category, over two other all-electric rivals, the Cadillac Lyriq and Genesis GV60. This seems like it was probably the toughest choice for the NACTOY jurors, as these are each excellent EVs. The Kia EV6 is built on the same E-GMP electric platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Genesis GV60, which means it has 800-volt battery architecture for extremely fast charging, available all-wheel drive and plenty of power. The EV6 has quickly become a favorite at Autoblog, especially since joining our long-term fleet. Read more about it in our First Drive, buying guide and long-term reviews.

Kia Forte Koup is dead, long live the Honda Civic

A combination of cheap gas and high demand for crossovers means customers looking for a small, economical coupe are few and far between. Cars Direct confirmed that due to slow sales, Kia is killing off the Forte Koup after moving all 2016 models. That leaves the Honda Civic coupe standing alone in a segment that was formerly rich with competition. The only other option is moving into larger, less practical models like the Subaru BRZ, Chevrolet Camaro, and Ford Mustang. Koup sales must have been a small portion of the Forte's overall volume, as the model had its best year ever in 2016. Kia sold more that 100,000 Fortes and is making even bigger gains through the first quarter of 2017. It seems Kia's decision to cancel the Koup has been a long time coming. It was the only variant of the Forte lineup to not receive a significant refresh for 2017. Looks aside, it was hard to make a case for the Koup when going head to head against the Civic. In almost every category, the Honda beats the Kia. The Civic is slightly less expensive, more fuel efficient, and more powerful. The interior was roomier and far more refined, and at the back end the Civic will have a better resale value. It's hard to make a case for a car that's really starting to show its age. Now might be the best time to buy one, as dealers are sure to offer incentives to move the aging models off the lot. Related Video: News Source: Cars Direct Kia Coupe kia forte kia forte koup

2020 Kia Tellurides recalled for seatbelt problem

Just over 30,000 2020 Kia Telluride SUVs are being recalled in the U.S. due to a seatbelt installation problem. Year to date, Kia hasn’t sold much more than 30,000 Tellurides, so the recall applies to nearly every Telluride on the road right now. Documents posted on the NHTSAÂ’s website explain that the wrong seatbelt assemblies may have been installed in certain Tellurides. Instead of American-spec assemblies, Kia says the Middle East-spec seatbelt assemblies may have been installed on some Tellurides. HereÂ’s why thatÂ’s an issue: Kia states that the seatbelts in the passenger seat, second row and third row may not be equipped with an automatic locking retractor (ALR) feature. In case you werenÂ’t familiar with the terminology, automatic locking retractor belts are seatbelts that lock into place once theyÂ’re snug to whatever theyÂ’re holding — they lock into place, instead of allowing a passenger to tug them back out again. This is necessary for securing child seats into place via the seatbelt, because you donÂ’t want there to be any give or movement in a crash. U.S. regulations require that every forward-facing seat that isnÂ’t the driverÂ’s seat has the ALR feature so that a child seat can be properly secured in it. Kia says “If a non-ALR seat belt is used to secure a child seat in the front passenger, second or third row seats, it may not tightly secure a child restraint system, increasing the risk of injury to a child seat occupant in a crash.” As of now, there are no reported deaths or injuries as a result of this issue. Owners of these potentially affected Tellurides will have to bring their vehicles into the dealer to be inspected. If they have the non-ALR Middle East-spec seatbelts installed in them, Kia will change them out for American-spec belt assemblies free of charge. The recall is scheduled to begin Aug. 30, so owners should expect a notification in the mail soon. This recall is the first experienced by the popular Telluride SUV.