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Kia Telluride spy shots reveal crossover's grille

The Kia Telluride seems to be making steady progress on its way to production, as evidenced by these new spy photos. The large crossover SUV was spied testing with much less camouflage than the last time we saw it. So little that we get a pretty clear picture of the front fascia and what appears to be a production grille and front bumper, unadorned with fake bodywork. Notably, the Telluride still retains much of the square, blocky design shown on the 2016 concept, such as in its tall, sheer nose. But it has softened in a number of ways. The grille is much broader and curves back toward the headlights. It also has a bit of a sweep upward, which is exaggerated by the additional opening below the grille. The headlights have also increased in size compared with the concept, particularly vertically. They also wrap around the fender instead of being inset. Moving around to the sides and the rear, there's more camouflage, but we can spot some details taken directly from the concept. One of them is the chrome trim surrounding the windows that has a little extension up the B-Pillar. The rear taillights are also heavily inspired by the concept's inverted "L"-shaped lights. Unlike the concept, the production lights appear to span the full width of the rear hatch. As for when we'll see the production Telluride, we would estimate within a year. A report from January implied that we would be hearing an announcement in the near-future regarding the new family crossover, and this latest prototype is looking pretty close to production specification. Hyundai seems to be on its way to releasing its own version of the three-row SUV, possibly styled after the Grandmaster concept, for 2019 or 2020. Related Video:

Kia previews upcoming Niro hybrid crossover

Kia is gearing up to launch a new hybrid crossover. Called the Niro, it's touted as the first of its kind in South Korea. And here we have our first glimpse of what it will look like. Previewed in this pair of teaser renderings, the Niro will be a dedicated hybrid crossover. The automaker says that the powertrain will be based on a 1.6-liter version of Hyundai's Kappa engine producing 105 horsepower and 108 pound-feet of torque. That seems a little low to us for an engine that size, considering that the same size engine in the Rio produces 138 hp and 123 lb-ft, but we'll see how the final specs work out. It's slated to be paired to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, an electric motor good for another 47 hp, and a 1.56-kWh battery pack. The hybrid powertrain will be packed into a compact crossover with what looks to be a fairly sleek design. Up front, you'll see the brand's signature tiger-nose grille, angular headlights, sculpted flanks, a relatively high belt line, and an aggressive rear end. Of course, the wheels on the final version won't fill the wheel wells quite as much, and you can expect them to be wearing narrower tires with low rolling resistance, as befits a dedicated hybrid. The Niro name was previously applied to a more rounded crossover concept unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. The production model with its hybrid powertrain will form part of Hyundai-Kia's endeavor to reduce its average fleet fuel consumption by 25 percent by 2020. It's slated to launch in some markets in the first half of next year. Related Video:

Hyundai shutters engine development in shift to electric and hydrogen vehicles

Hyundai is quickly pivoting into an era of electric vehicles. Shortly after announcing it would halve the number of internal combustion models, it launched its first EV on its dedicated Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), the supremely enjoyable Ioniq 5. Now, as The Korea Economic Daily reports, Hyundai Motor Group, which includes sister brand Kia and luxury brand Genesis, has closed its engine development division at its research and development center in South Korea to put those resources into electric powertrain development. According to the report, researchers from engine design are moving to its electrification design center, but a few remain behind to continue to refine existing internal combustion engines. The powertrain system development center will become an electrification test center, and the performance division will focus on electric performance. The group has also established a battery development center, and the R&D Center will also focus on raw materials for batteries and semiconductors. In an email, R&D boss Park Chung-Kook told employees, “Now, it is inevitable to convert into electrification. Our own engine development is a great achievement, but we must change the system to create future innovation based on the great asset from the past.” Hyundai Motor Group is targeting one million EVs a year by 2025, and full electrification by the year 2040. In addition to the newly launched Ioniq 5, Hyundai is planning to launch the Ioniq 6 EV, based on the stunning Prophecy concept, in 2022, and weÂ’ve already seen spy shots of that prototype in testing. That will be followed by the full-size Ioniq 7 SUV in 2024, which was recently previewed by the Seven Concept at the 2021 L.A. Auto Show. Kia is set to launch the EV6 in 2022, and Genesis recently revealed the GV60 electric crossover, both of which will use HyundaiÂ’s E-GMP architecture. Genesis also recently revealed an electric version of the GV70 crossover in China. Of course, Hyundai is also invested in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, both commercial vehicles like its Xcient trucks, and passenger cars like the Nexo and the recently revealed Vision FK concept. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.