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New Kia Sportage shots give first glimpse of interior

A 2016 Kia Sportage prototype has made the trek from the Hyundai-Kia Technical Center in Russelsheim, Germany, where we last saw it, to the snows of Northern Sweden. A month ago, we expected inspiration from the KX3 concept, now we can see it plain in the face: the swept-back headlights now sit entirely above a larger grille inlaid with the metallic ornament seen on the Kia Sorento, and the fog light housings take a vertical stance. In back will come new LED taillights with distinct elements for turn signals and reversing lights. We understand this will be the design track that Kia SUVs and crossovers take, which will be differentiated from sedan designs starting with the Optima later this year. We get a shot of the interior this time, too. Based on the steering wheel and what we can tell of the instrument panel behind the engineer's laptop, it looks like the forward section of cabin will get some sculpting but be largely similar to the current model. A smorgasbord of gasoline direct injection, diesel, and small turbo engines should be on the menu at launch, as well as the option of a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. At the low end will be the tweaked, 136-horsepower, 1.6 CRDi launched with the latest i30, at the puissant end should be the 245-hp, T-GDi.

Kia's regionally inspired concepts converge on Las Vegas [w/poll]

Kia has, over the past couple of weeks, been steadily streaming an array of concept cars it's prepared for SEMA this year. But with the doors now open at the Las Vegas Convention Center, it's now released the full monte – so to speak – including one we hadn't seen before at all. The lineup takes a geographic approach, each representing a different region in this great country of ours, and each is based on a different model in the company's product line. Arguably the most outlandish is the A1A Optima. The sedan has been converted into a four-door convertible, taking its name and inspiration from the coastal highway in Florida. The project was carried out by Lux Motorwerks, which reinforced the Optima's bodywork for the chop job, fitted suicide rear doors, and painted it a bright shade of turquoise. It rides on 20-inch HRE alloys, with an interior trimmed out in cream leather and titanium accents. A coilover suspension drops it down to the tarmac, and a new exhaust system helps with the turbo four's sound. Next up is the PacWest Adventure Sorento, inspired by the Pacific Northwest with a woodsy approach. The Sorento crossover has been customized by LGE-CTS Motorsports with a candy-effect green paint job and matte black trim, tubular bumpers, a raised suspension, off-road tires, a snorkel for fording streams, and a pop-up tent on the roof. They're joined by the Photo Safari Sedona, which is a new addition we hadn't seen until now. The minivan has been thoroughly transformed into a rolling observation point for shutterbugs in the wild. The rear section has been converted into a pickup bed, the seats have been swapped out for deploying buckets to get closer to the action, and the whole thing rides on an air suspension with off-road tires on 17-inch wheels. It's even got an iMac workstation on board for processing photos. In short, it's everything you could want to embark on a photographic adventure in the Northeast – or anywhere else for that matter. Finally there's the Mud Bogger, a Forte Koup inspired by the South. It's jacked up four inches on an off-road suspension, with an open rollback vinyl roof to let in the elements. The bodywork has been painted a deep shade of blue, offset by the white powder-coated roll cage, brush guards, and wheels. And the interior has been stripped out and fitted with Sparco racing seats. Kia has also brought the Ballast Point Sedona back to the show this year.

Kia shows off 2 tuned Stingers, modified Cadenza at SEMA

Ascendant Korean automaker Kia is leaving its mark on the SEMA Show in Las Vegas with two versions of its forthcoming 2018 Stinger GT, including the wide-body version developed with West Coast Customs that we previewed recently, and a sumptuous version of its premium sedan it's calling the Cadenza Obsidian. The third model is the Stinger GT Federation, which Kia says marks its foray into offering high-performance aftermarket parts through suppliers in conjunction with a vehicle launch (the production Stinger hits showrooms in December). Kia pairs the GT Federation with Air Design USA performance kits like a rear spoiler, rear diffuser and redesigned hood vents that contrast with the fastback's custom creamy-orange paint. The GT-standard twin-turbo 3.3-liter engine gets an added 15 horsepower, taking it to an estimated 380 hp, thanks to a K&N cold-air intake and a low-restriction quad-tipped Borla exhaust. It also gets Eibach springs, beefier antiroll bars and a reduced ride height, plus staggered 20-inch TSW wheels with Falken tires. Kia teamed with West Coast Customs for both the Stinger GT Wide Body and the Cadenza Obsidian sedan. The latter gets an upscale aesthetic makeover with ultra-dark ceramic window tint, metallic black body paint and copper accents inside and out. It rides on a lowered suspension with stiffened sport springs and custom 20-inch gloss-black Keen wheels with Cosmic Copper trim. Inside, there's hand-stitched suede dashboard top panel, "butter-soft" brown leather seats with suede inserts, and custom brown suede door panels. Oh, and there's a Harmon Kardon 630-watt premium sound system with an integrated subwoofer — perfect for belting out "Let It Go" at full voice during your morning commute. Kia also revealed new details about the Stinger GT Wide Body, which takes its inspiration from grand-touring racing cars of the 1970s. Its suspension has been lowered 1.4 inches up front and 1.2 inches in the rear, and it rides on 21-inch Keen forged wheels fitted with high-performance tires. The body gets wide fenders, a lightweight carbon-fiber aero kit and rear diffuser, plus quad-port exhaust tips. Inside, the makeover features custom blue leather seat piping, a hand-stitched gray leather dash panel, Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel and gloss-black center console trim.