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Kia Australia confirms a pickup truck is in the works

Reports continue to indicate that there will be a Hyundai pickup truck, but this bit of news is about the potential of a Kia pickup. After all, if Hyundai does it, why can’t its corporate cousin Kia get a slice of the pie, too? WeÂ’ve heard rumors of a Kia truck before, but this report is much more definitive about the projectÂ’s existence. Damien Meredith, the Chief Operating Officer of Kia Australia told CarsGuide that the Kia pickup is a go. “Work has begun,” Meredith says. “WeÂ’re talking about a dual-cab, a single cab. What weÂ’ve requested is the full gambit (sic) for the ute, and that (includes) a dual cab with diesel and petrol.” Of course, this is Kia Australia talking. ThereÂ’s no one suggesting that any Australia-specific Kia truck would make it to the United States, but itÂ’s intriguing to know the designers and engineers are on the job. We didnÂ’t previously know that there would be a Kia pickup, but now Meredith is saying it will likely be arriving around 2022 or 2023. The latest on HyundaiÂ’s pickup is that itÂ’ll be launching in 2020, but Hyundai hasnÂ’t confirmed anything yet. Meredith also touted that the Kia pickup wouldnÂ’t be a “lifestyle vehicle,” but more of a serious pickup truck. Would Kia actually make a body-on-frame pickup to compete against trucks like the Ford Ranger or Toyota Hilux in other markets? ThatÂ’s certainly nothing like what we think the Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup is going to be like. That's expected to be a unibody pickup, similar to the Honda Ridgeline in stature and drivability. The more we read into this, the more this pickup is looking like a body-on-frame utility vehicle for markets outside the United States. Kia could sell the truck in Asia, Australia and other markets where the international version of the Ranger and Hilux are offered. Will it ever see the U.S. market if this is the case? Probably not. Although the Ranger ended up here, it did so after substantial re-engineering. The Hilux and other trucks like the VW Amarok remain for other countries only. We'd expect the Kia truck as described by Meredith to be so as well. 

Melissa McCarthy sent fleeing in the Kia Niro Super Bowl teaser

The Super Bowl is drawing near and with it comes a cavalcade of over-the-top and outrageously expensive mid-game ads. The cult of the commercial has grown so large that 60-second ads are getting 15-second teasers. For Kia's eighth year at the Super Bowl, the Korean automaker will be promoting its new hybrid, the Niro. The company released a new trailer hyping its third-quarter ad slot. The teaser doesn't actually feature the Niro. Instead flag-waving actor Melissa McCarthy is shown screaming and fleeing across a field from some unknown assailant, presumably the Niro's rival, a Toyota Prius, done up like the War Rig from Mad Max Fury Road. Kia promises the game day commercial will trace "a heroic and harrowing journey stretching from the polar ice caps to an arid desert" all while showing why the Niro is a new type of crossover. We really just want to know what's written on the flag. Related Video:

2023 J.D. Power APEAL Study shows new-car customer satisfaction scores slip

J.D. Power survey results have been slightly up but mostly down for automakers this year, literally. In February, the 2023 Vehicle Dependability Study showed an overall decline compared the 2022 a month before the Customer Service Index Study did the same. The trend reversed in June with a better overall score on the 2023 U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration Study than in 2022, then declined again the same month on with a lower overall score on the 2023 Initial Quality Study. The declines continue with the 2023 J.D. Power U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, overall satisfaction among the 84,555 respondents down two points overall compared to 2022, to 845 out of 1,000 points. Because last year's score dropped compared to 2021, this year marks the first consecutive decline in the study's 28-year history. The study tries to "[measure] owners' emotional attachment and level of excitement with new vehicle" after 90 days of ownership by asking new owners to rate 37 attributes in 10 areas around the vehicle, such as the feeling they get when they hit the accelerator. Satisfaction with nine of the attributes is down this year versus last, fuel economy the only segment to show better results with 15 points more satisfaction. Styling and infotainment are big drags on satisfaction. Responses to new car exterior looks tallied 888 points, down from 894 last year, the largest drop in this year's study. On the digital side, less than half of those surveyed this year said they prefer using a manufacturer's built-in infotainment. From 70% of respondents in 2020 preferring to use a manufacturer's in-house software to play audio instead of Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, that's 56% in 2023. Going all-in on Google appears to have the best effect. J.D. Power said that vehicles with both Google's Android Automotive Operating System (AAOS) and Google Automotive Services (GAS) "score higher in the infotainment category than those with no AAOS whatsoever. AAOS without GAS receives the lowest scores for infotainment of the three categories."  Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power, said, "Despite the technology and design innovations that manufacturers put into new vehicles, owners are lukewarm about them. While innovations like charging pads, vehicle apps and advanced audio features should enhance an owner’s experience, this is not the case when problems are experienced.