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2015 Sedona shows Kia hasn't given up on minivans

Is it weird that one of the most exciting vehicles to arrive at the 2014 New York Auto Show is a minivan? Well, yeah, it's pretty odd. Still, with the design direction from Peter Schreyer, not to mention Kia's traditionally aggressive pricing, excellent warranty and solid list of high-end equipment, the new, 2015 Sedona could end up being a big winner for the Korean brand.
The design, which shares a lot of the styling that's been instigated by Schreyer since he joined Kia, looks just as good when shaped like a minivan. The grille and headlights clearly tie the Sedona to the likes of the Cadenza and K900, while features like its higher beltline and simple-but-stylish back end should do well with minivan buyers.
At first glance we aren't too enthused by the interior on the largest Kia, however. The dash looks rather plasticky, although the color scheme at work is pretty attractive. Of course, we'll need to get the big van out from under the auto show lights to render a final judgment on the cabin materials. On the space and versatility fronts, though, the Sedona looks like a winner. It will be available in either seven- or eight-passenger configurations, while the Captain's chairs on the seven-seat layout offer an ottoman that should make it even easier for the kids to fall asleep on family road trips.

65k Kia Sorento models face NHTSA probe for shattering sunroof

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration isn't ready to give up its investigation into spontaneously shattering sunroofs in the 2011-2013 Kia Sorento yet. In fact, it has actually broadened it into a full engineering analysis affecting as many as 65,347 vehicles.
The investigation started in 2013 when NHTSA received 15 complaints about breaking sunroofs in the crossover. Since then, the regulator requested data from Kia and found that there have been 95 complaints of the roof abruptly braking. In many of those cases, the vehicle was moving at the time. People have been injured when this happens; NHTSA found 14 incidents where at least one person in the vehicle suffered from cuts or scrapes.
According to the investigation document, Kia also conducted its own internal review but couldn't find any defects. The company claims that the only way for the roof to break is for an object to strike it. Although, it does admit that the large surface of the sunroof on the Sorento could be the cause of the high frequency of damage. NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation isn't convinced and calls it "concerning." It's pressing forward to find more details in the engineering analysis.

Kia Soul EV starts production in Korea

As sister company Hyundai delivers its first Tucson fuel cell vehicles in California, Kia has kicked off volume production of the Soul EV in Korea. We've driven the prototype and are excited about the arrival of this electric vehicle. Kia is already calling the production start a landmark event, but let's remember that other automakers have been building production EVs for years now. The EVs won't be exported outside of Korea until later in 2014, but the automaker is hoping to make 5,000 a year at its Gwangju facility. The first batch is headed to "select European countries" with more coming to Europe at a later date. The vehicle might be coming to the US in the third quarter. The Soul EV is Kia's second production EV, following the Ray EV. Kia only made 2,500 of them for governmental agency use in Korea. We've got a little video on the Soul EV here. As a reminder, the Soul has a 27-kWh lithium-ion polymer battery which is good for a now-official range (on the European test cycle) of 212 kilometers. That's 132 miles, but expect a good chunk to get knocked off when it gets rated on the US text cycle. For example, the Nissan Leaf is rated at 199 kilometers (123 miles) in Europe but only 84 miles from the EPA. Read Kia's press release below. Start of production for all-electric Kia Soul EV Volume production of Soul EV for export is a landmark in Kia's history Ideal for commuters, Soul EV goes on sale outside Korea later in 2014 Class-leading drive range of 212 km certified for Europe 81.4 kW motor produces 285 Nm of torque for 'fun-to-drive' motoring The first vehicles off the production line are destined for select European countries and are scheduled to go on sale across the continent during the second half of the year. The Soul EV is manufactured at Kia's Gwangju facility in Korea, where annual output of the electric car is planned to reach 5,000 units. "Now that production of export models has begun, the new Soul EV is truly at the forefront of Kia's 'Clean Mobility' program, providing environmentally-friendly transport to our customers around the world," comments Thomas Oh, Executive Vice President and COO, Kia Motors Corporation.