2008 Kia Spectra Lx...great Little Car At A Cheap Price... on 2040-cars

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2014 Kia Cadenza

Teenage passengers are often among the first people I turn to for second opinions about a test vehicle. While they understandably aren't allowed behind the wheel - most aren't even old enough to drive - their honest and generally unbiased observations, coupled with a complete lack of understanding about what a particular vehicle costs, can provide a wealth of insight.
An open-minded approach is especially important when taking a closer look at the 2014 Kia Cadenza, a premium sedan from an automaker best known for providing affordable transportation for entry-level buyers. But unlike the Rio and Forte, low-priced compacts designed to cater to consumers looking for fuel economy and value, this more substantial four-door sedan asks for twice the out-of-pocket investment in exchange for promises of luxury and technology.
With an impartial mindset and a genuine curiosity, I recently spent a week with the more substantial Cadenza to see if it could live up to its aspirations.

Kia to reveal 2015 Sedona minivan in New York

Hold on to your sippy cups, America. The Kia Sedona minivan may have gone to recess for the 2013 model year, but it mounted a quiet comeback for 2014 sporting the slightest of updates. Thankfully, those minor tweaks will only have to sustain it a short time. Kia knows it can't afford to nap for another year against strong rivals like the Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Town & Country, and the Korean automaker remains committed to duking it out in the kinshlepper segment. So committed, in fact, that Autoblog has learned it will launch its third-generation minivan at April's New York Auto Show.
As seen in these spy shots captured last August, the 2015 Sedona will incorporate styling cues from Kia's well-recieved 2012 KV7 concept, and it's predicted to feature more refined drivetrains and interior appointments, including Kia's latest UVO infotainment system and available rear-seat entertainment. We further expect fuel economy figures to get a nudge upwards thanks to fuel-saving features like electric power steering and direct injection.
Given the minivan segment's 'safety first' mindset, look for the next Sedona (known elsewhere as the Carnival) to offer a full quiver of active safety features, including blind-spot detection and a lane-departure warning system - two popular features the 2014 model does without.

2015 Kia Soul EV production model glimpsed before Chicago

A few days before its on-stage reveal at the Chicago Auto Show, the production version of the 2015 Kia Soul EV has been spotted, tagged and bagged in this series of spy shots. On the EV captured by our photographer's lens, we can see unusual baby blue accents on top, on the mirrors and up front, as well as a closed-off "Tiger Nose" that is both taller and larger than the grille on the standard Soul. The special "Eco Electric" badge on the sides is useful for identifying the car in the picture, but we can't imagine it'll make the transition to showroom floor (at least, we hope). The Soul EV's rear side is different, too, with the bottom lights moved lower and the design of the main taillights tweaked a bit (compare our spy shots gallery to the standard model here). The wheels get a fresh five-spoke design as well. What lies under the new exterior? Some things we already know. The Soul is supposed to have a "class-leading" range of over 120 miles on a charge thanks to a 27-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion polymer battery pack. The electric motor offers 109 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque to create a 0-62 mile per hour time of under 12 seconds and a top speed of around 90 mph. What we can't see in these shots is a window sticker, but from what we've heard before, the Soul EV, "won't be priced to stimulate demand." Early predictions put the price at $35,000-$40,000 US – before government incentives – when the car launches in the US in the second half of this year. The gas-powered Soul starts at $14,400. We should learn more in Chicago later this week.