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Hyundai reveals CEO's pay for first time ever

Thanks to some government pressure, Hyundai's billionaire chairman, Chung Mong Koo, has revealed just how much he gets paid each year. Honestly, the amount is a bit lower than we'd expect considering he helms such a huge industrial empire. The 76-year-old chairman brought home $13 million in 2013, $5.2 million of which came from Hyundai's automotive business while both Mobis and Hyundai Steel chipped in $3.94 million, each. For reference, Ford CEO Alan Mulally netted $23.2 million in 2013, although the vast majority of that money came from stock options.
The push for Chung to reveal his pay was part of a larger effort by the South Korean government called the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act. The act forces several thousand companies to release info on annual pay, bonuses and severance for employees earning over $5 million won ($469,000), according to Bloomberg.
"With the disclosure of the executives' compensation, the pressure to deliver better profits will increase," said Heo Pil Seok, the CEO of Midas International Asset Management. It seems to be working, as Hyundai shareholders, of which Midas is one, have seen their shares increase by 6.1 percent in 2014, which includes a 1.2-percent jump as of yesterday, according to Bloomberg.

Superman-themed Kia Optima Hybrid definitely not faster than a speeding bullet

The Justice League of America's garage is filling up quickly, with Kia and DC Entertainment unveiling its sixth of eight super hero-inspired vehicles at the Chicago Auto Show today. The vehicles are being used to raise awareness for DC Entertainment's "We Can Be Heroes" giving campaign.
The latest Kia to get the super hero treatment is the Optima Hybrid, which draws on the almighty Superman for inspiration. We're not sure what to make of this thing, honestly, as neither Clark Kent nor Kal-El would be caught dead in it (unless it's got the optional Kryptonite seatbelts, of course). Rather, this looks like what we imagine a Superman fanboy would construct if given carte blanche to ruin an Optima Hybrid. The actual design and construction were handled jointly by Kia, DC Entertainment and Super Street magazine.
We'll let the pictures do the talking in terms of what modifications were made since they're all cosmetic. That is, no mechanical mods were done to make the Kia Optima either faster than a speeding bullet or more powerful than a locomotive (shame).

2014 Kia Forte sedan priced from $15,900*

During our recent First Drive of the 2014 Kia Forte sedan, Kia revealed many of the sedan's specs, but left out pricing and fuel economy for its all-new compact sedan. With the new Forte set to hit dealerships soon, Kia has announced the starting prices for the sedan's two initial trim levels and released the fuel economy for the EX trim level equipped with the bigger engine. Marking a slight $500 jump in price over the current 2013 model, the 2014 Forte sedan will have a starting MSRP of $15,900 (*not including a destination charge of $800).
This price is for the base LX sedan with the 148-horsepower, 1.8-liter inline-four paired to the manual gearbox, but buyers wanting an automatic transmission will have to pony up an extra $1,500. Some of the notable features standard on the LX include Bluetooth and heated, power-folding door mirrors.
Stepping up to the EX trim level will run $19,400, but it also brings the peppier 2.0-liter direct-injected four-cylinder producing 173 horsepower and returning 24 miles per gallon in the city, 36 mpg highway and a combined rating of 28 mpg; Kia says these are EPA estimates, but the EPA's website does not yet list the 2014 Forte. Kia is still holding out on fuel economy for the base engine.