2015 Kia Sorento Lx on 2040-cars

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2015 Kia Sedona Review

We wish Ambrose Bierce had lived long enough to include the word "minivan" in his Devil's Dictionary, a reference work for the comprehensively disenchanted that defines "year" as "a period of 365 disappointments" and self-esteem as "an erroneous appraisal." We want to know how the Socrates of cynics would classify the method of conveyance that enthusiasts won't stop hating, but we just can't get rid of. Today, the minivan is adored for practical reasons – every single one on the market excels at its intended purpose. Dealers say minivans have great margins and they can't keep them in stock even when these vehicles sticker north of $40,000. A market consolidated to five automakers means strong sales for the segment leaders. Combined sales of the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country lead through June of this year with 75,840 units. The Toyota Sienna is in second at 71,381 sales, the Honda Odyssey has sold 62,636, and the Nissan Quest is barely a blip at 5,400. But the three big minivan brands aren't the only game in town. The rival Kia Sedona is an incredibly compelling package, as 20,608 owners have discovered so far in 2015. It's not an old-fashioned way to haul kids, it's a way to haul kids and make a statement. The Sedona's aesthetic is a box that's outside-the-box. Taken from the three-quarter view the profile is close to an urban cargo van with windows; it's a handsome package. It's the same width as its predecessor but 2.4 inches lower, wearing Kia's strongly horizontal frontal identity. We like the tabbed grille, and the intensity of the sheetmetal in front counters the chrome accents. But our SXL tester sure has a lot of brightwork – more than other minivans. From the side, the Sedona keeps up the muscular tones with a stout body that's light on distracting details. But it's hard to miss some similarities to the Odyssey – the way the glasshouse narrows toward the rear, the kink at the C-pillar, the driver's side sliding door rail running nearly to the rear lights. Yet you'd never mistake the two because the Kia, fuller and more upright everywhere, is bolder than the slinking Odyssey. It's not an old-fashioned way to haul kids, it's a way to haul kids and make a statement. Inside the cabin, that statement ends with an exclamation point. Ward's Auto put the Sedona on its 2015 10 Best Interiors list, an accolade warranted because everything inside oozes quality.

Kia launches 1.0-liter engine in Europe

As emissions regulations get tighter around the world, the automotive industry is seeing a proliferation of small, turbocharged engines to keep up. Kia is hopping into this field, at least in Europe, with its newly announced 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder, and the mill debuts at the upcoming 2015 Geneva Motor Show in the Cee'd GT Line (pictured right). Kia's turbocharged three-cylinder makes 118 horsepower and 127 pound-feet of torque in the Cee'd and goes on sale in the fourth quarter of 2014 across the pond. The Korean brand says that the engine will be offered in more of its products there, but won't announce them until later. The engine is still subject to emissions and fuel economy certification in Europe, but Kia's goal is for it to have 10-15 percent better economy than the current 1.6-liter, direct-injected four-cylinder. To make those goals a reality, the company packs the three-cylinder with technology. Laser-drilled fuel-injection holes provide a more even mixture, and the heads and block have separate thermostats to let them be cooled independently, a decision that allows engineers to tune the temperature of the two parts separately to maximize efficiency. Also, the exhaust manifold is integrated into the design to further lower temperatures. On the Cee'd GT Line, the powertrain gets stop/start, as well. While the Ford Fiesta shows that small engines can work in the US by offering the 1.0-liter EcoBoost with 123 hp and 148 lb-ft of twist, don't expect Kia to try it here anytime soon. Company spokesperson James Hope told Autoblog, "We're always studying the market, but there are no plans at the moment" to bring the mill here. WORLD PRODUCTION PREMIERE FOR KIA'S NEW 1.0-LITRE TURBOCHARGED THREE-CYLINDER 'KAPPA' ENGINE World premiere for Kia's new downsized 1.0-litre T-GDi engine Developed in-house at Kia's Namyang R&D centre Newly-developed laser-drilled injectors enable more efficient combustion Single-scroll turbocharger with electric scavenging system Innovation dual-thermostat cooling for cylinder heads and engine block Kia's all-new 1.0-litre T-GDi (turbo gasoline direct injection) 'Kappa' engine will make its world production debut at the 85th Salon International de l'Automobile in Geneva on 3 March 2015. Kia's new T-GDi Kappa engine embraces the industry trend towards smaller capacity, higher efficiency units which consume less fuel and emit fewer emissions – while still delivering responsive performance.

A spotter's guide to Super Bowl LIV car commercials

Set to kick off on Fox at 6:30 ET on Sunday, February 2, from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, the big game will feature the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. Throughout Super Bowl LIV, viewers will see about 50 commercials, each of which costs as much as $5.6 million per 30 seconds, according to AdWeek. Originally, there were more than 77 ad slots, so several companies could be paying well more than $10 million for a single, longer commercial. Numerous car companies have already announced their commercials, or their intentions to show commercials, during the game. Here's a roundup of the ones we know about so far. During the game on Sunday, we'll be livestreaming and adding links to the new commercials as they become available, so check back with us for that post.  Audi: E-Tron Sportback Maisie Williams has experience wearing many faces, and in Audi's Super Bowl commercial, she does her best Elsa impression. In the spot, titled "Let It Go," Williams faces the rigorous task of getting through L.A. traffic, but she's alleviated by the comfort of the Audi E-Tron Sportback electric crossover. The commercial is meant to signal the company leaving its gas past behind and moving forward to a sustainable future.  Genesis: GV80 Genesis makes its Super Bowl debut with a commercial that will show its all-new SUV, the GV80, to viewers around the world (many of which will be seeing the vehicle for the first time). The ad features Chrissy Teigen and John Legend as the purveyors of "new luxury," while "old luxury" is left for the birds. GMC: Hummer General Motors is bringing back the Hummer nameplate as a premium electric GMC truck. GM says it will have 1,000 horsepower and will be capable of going zero to 60 mph in three seconds. GM brought in NBA legend and Hummer fanboy LeBron James for the debut commercial. Hyundai: Sonata Hyundai is known for bringing in the big-time celebrities for its commercials, and 2020 is no different. A new advertisement called "Smaht Pahk" features John Krasinski, Chris Evans, and Rachel Dratch, all three of whom are from the Boston area. The trio gets into full character as they discuss the new high-tech parking feature on the redesigned 2020 Hyundai Sonata, and David Ortiz makes a cameo at the end. Even when New England isn't in the Super Bowl, New England is in the Super Bowl.