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Superman-themed Kia Optima Hybrid definitely not faster than a speeding bullet

The Justice League of America's garage is filling up quickly, with Kia and DC Entertainment unveiling its sixth of eight super hero-inspired vehicles at the Chicago Auto Show today. The vehicles are being used to raise awareness for DC Entertainment's "We Can Be Heroes" giving campaign.
The latest Kia to get the super hero treatment is the Optima Hybrid, which draws on the almighty Superman for inspiration. We're not sure what to make of this thing, honestly, as neither Clark Kent nor Kal-El would be caught dead in it (unless it's got the optional Kryptonite seatbelts, of course). Rather, this looks like what we imagine a Superman fanboy would construct if given carte blanche to ruin an Optima Hybrid. The actual design and construction were handled jointly by Kia, DC Entertainment and Super Street magazine.
We'll let the pictures do the talking in terms of what modifications were made since they're all cosmetic. That is, no mechanical mods were done to make the Kia Optima either faster than a speeding bullet or more powerful than a locomotive (shame).

Kia prepping Provo-inspired Mazda CX-3 challenger for 2017

Kia will be joining the fray in the sub-compact crossover segment, Australia's Motoring reports. The company could introduce a challenger to the Mazda CX-3, Jeep Renegade, Honda HR-V, and Toyota C-HR as early as this year's Los Angeles Auto Show. Kia Australia COO Damien Meredith told Motoring the new CUV will ride on the same platform as the redesigned Rio, and Kia will build the two compacts alongside each other, in South Korea. Kia hasn't gotten so far as naming the new crossover – at least it's not as far as wanting to publish a name – but it should draw inspiration from the Provo Concept the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. But it's tough to predict what that means. The Provo is, after all, a small hatchback. If Meredith came out and said it'd inspire the next Rio, it'd be an easier pill to swallow, but converting such an aggressive vehicle to CUV duty while retaining the overall look could be a challenge. That said, Kia's designs have become increasingly extroverted over the past several years – we can't wait to see what Peter Schreyer and his team come up with. According to Motoring, the Rio-based CUV could hit the market in the third quarter of 2017, which would put it several months behind the redesigned Rio. While that applies to the Australian market, a debut at Los Angeles or even in January 2017 at Detroit could lead to a similar timeline for a US on-sale date. Related Video:

Hurricane Sandy cost automakers 15,000 vehicles, may have ruined up to 200k

Hurricane Sandy was the largest Atlantic storm in US history, and its total economic impact is just now coming into view. According to Automotive News, Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan and Honda are set to scrap around 15,000 new vehicles ruined by the storm. Nissan alone accounts for about 40 percent of those, with 6,000 Nissan and Infiniti models deeded "un-saleable" due to damage. The company saw 56 dealerships shuttered due to the storm, but 51 of those have since reopened.
Toyota, meanwhile, had some 4,000 vehicles at its Newark port facility, and of those, 3,000 may be scrapped. An additional 825 were dealer inventory when they were ruined. Honda and Acura dealers are reportedly sending 3,440 vehicles to the salvage yard. By comparison, Chrysler weathered the storm fairly well with 825 units destroyed, while Hyundai suffered only 400 lost units and Kia scrapped around 200.
As you may recall, Fisker also suffered some losses, and Automotive News reports the manufacturer saw 320 Karma models damaged beyond repair. Ford and General Motors have yet to come up with estimates, and no automaker has commented on the full cost of replacing the vehicles.