2014 Kia Soul + on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Kia reveals updated 2016 Rio hatchback and sedan [w/videos]

Kia makes vehicles of all different shapes and sizes (or many shapes and sizes, in any event), and the smallest of them all... well, that'd be the Picanto, but that's not sold here. The smallest Kia we get Stateside is the Rio, and it's just been updated for the 2016 model year and revealed here in Chicago. An update on the existing version rather than an all-new model, the new 2016 Kia Rio actually debuted in hatchback form at the Paris Motor Show a few months back. But this is the first time we're seeing the US model, where it's being showcased alongside its betrunked stablemate, the Rio sedan. Both bodystyles benefit from updated styling at both ends with new grilles and new lights front and rear. There are also some new paint options, and the interior has been updated with more high-density foam, higher-quality materials and revised trim. In addition to the choice of bodystyle, the Rio can also be ordered in three trim levels with varying levels of equipment, but they're all powered by the same 1.6-liter inline-four with 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque. They're mated to a six-speed transmission in either manual or automatic forms, though the stick has been discontinued on the five-door hatch. 2016 RIO 5-DOOR DEBUTS AT CHICAGO AUTO SHOW The new year brings refreshing enhancements to Kia's entry-level sedan and hatch at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show - New front and rear valances add visual width and sporty attitude; two new exterior colors added - Interior enhancements include upgraded UVO eServices1 technology and a more premium look and feel CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2015 – Chicago's gleaming skyline and indie rock music were the backdrops today as Kia Motors America (KMA) pulled the wraps off the 2016 Rio Sedan at the Chicago Auto Show. Making its global debut alongside the previously introduced Rio 5-Door (Paris, 2014), these two modern and dynamic subcompacts are the entry points into KMA's ever-expanding lineup of award-winning cars and CUVs. Refreshed inside and out for the 2016 model year, the pair offer sporty European design cues and generous interior accommodations while providing fuel efficiency. Both Sedan and 5-Door are expected to go on sale in the first quarter. "The Rio signifies everything the Kia brand has evolved into since coming to the U.S. market more than 20 years ago," said Orth Hedrick, vice president of product planning. "And like the brand, the Rio has grown up as it enters the 2016 model year.

Dan Neil pokes fun at the celeb cars of 2014

Look, we try really hard not to pay any attention to the Kardashians and their vapid reality TV empire. But, as troubling as that brood may be, occasionally we're impressed and/or horrified by their four-wheeled conveyances. In fact, that curiosity extends beyond talentless reality stars with rotund glutes to celebs in general. That's why we're enjoying Dan Neil's sometimes biting take on the celebrity cars of 2014. Besides paying tribute to Kim K, husband Kanye West and the adorable Lamborghini that their spawn rides about in, Neil also takes a look at LeBron James' turn as a Kia spokesman and boxer Floyd Mayweather's trio of Bugatti Veyrons. Matthew McConaughey is a focus of Neil's as well, thanks to his oft-panned advertisements for Lincoln (and the raucous parodies they inspired), before finishing on the high, with Jerry Seinfeld and his new Porsche 918 Spyder. Take a look at Neil's recap of the celebrity cars of 2014. News Source: The Wall Street Journal Celebrities Humor Bugatti Kia Lamborghini Lincoln Porsche Videos porsche 918 spyder celebrity dan neil

A car writer's year in new vehicles [w/video]

Christmas is only a week away. The New Year is just around the corner. As 2014 draws to a close, I'm not the only one taking stock of the year that's we're almost shut of. Depending on who you are or what you do, the end of the year can bring to mind tax bills, school semesters or scheduling dental appointments. For me, for the last eight or nine years, at least a small part of this transitory time is occupied with recalling the cars I've driven over the preceding 12 months. Since I started writing about and reviewing cars in 2006, I've done an uneven job of tracking every vehicle I've been in, each year. Last year I made a resolution to be better about it, and the result is a spreadsheet with model names, dates, notes and some basic facts and figures. Armed with this basic data and a yen for year-end stories, I figured it would be interesting to parse the figures and quantify my year in cars in a way I'd never done before. The results are, well, they're a little bizarre, honestly. And I think they'll affect how I approach this gig in 2015. {C} My tally for the year is 68 cars, as of this writing. Before the calendar flips to 2015 it'll be as high as 73. Let me give you a tiny bit of background about how automotive journalists typically get cars to test. There are basically two pools of vehicles I drive on a regular basis: media fleet vehicles and those available on "first drive" programs. The latter group is pretty self-explanatory. Journalists are gathered in one location (sometimes local, sometimes far-flung) with a new model(s), there's usually a day of driving, then we report back to you with our impressions. Media fleet vehicles are different. These are distributed to publications and individual journalists far and wide, and the test period goes from a few days to a week or more. Whereas first drives almost always result in a piece of review content, fleet loans only sometimes do. Other times they serve to give context about brands, segments, technology and the like, to editors and writers. So, adding up the loans I've had out of the press fleet and things I've driven at events, my tally for the year is 68 cars, as of this writing. Before the calendar flips to 2015, it'll be as high as 73. At one of the buff books like Car and Driver or Motor Trend, reviewers might rotate through five cars a week, or more. I know that number sounds high, but as best I can tell, it's pretty average for the full-time professionals in this business.