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Kia Optima Sportwagon spied before Geneva

Kia showed off the Sportspace concept at the Geneva Motor Show this year, and we knew at the time that it previewed design elements that would migrate to the Optima sedan. On top of that, it's keeping its hump to transition into the Optima Sportwagon for what we presume will be audiences outside the US. When we asked Kia about the chance of it coming here, a company spokesman responded: "Right now we don't have plans to bring the Optima Sportwagon to the US but we are continuously studying the market and looking for new opportunities. The all-new 2016 Optima midsize sedan is one of our best selling vehicles and at this time we are focused on its launch in the U.S." Now in prototype form, spy photographers caught engineers testing the Sportwagon out on German roads. The roofline declines as it makes its way to the back, a nod to the concept and a sporty profile. Otherwise design matters appear quite toned down compared to the concept, which shouldn't be a surprise. And in spite of commenters who promised Kia their money if the South Korean automaker would produce the Sportspace with all-wheel drive and something like 400 horsepower, what buyers will really be faced with is front-wheel drive and a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with around 250 horsepower. A plug-in hybrid is said to be on the cards, too. Spy shooters said they saw Volkswagen Passat and Ford Mondeo wagons at the Kia test facility, so you know the benchmarks and have more proof that it's not for us. It's expected to make its production appearance at next year's Geneva Motor Show.

Porsche tops J.D. Power quality index as Korean brands soar

While complaints about infotainment systems remain a thorn in the side of automakers for J.D. Power's annual Initial Quality Study, there's a lot to celebrate this year. The average number of problems reported per 100 vehicles fell to 112 in 2015 – a three-percent improvement compared to 116 in 2014. The results of this year's survey are based on the responses of over 84,000 people about problems within the first 90 days of buying or leasing a 2015 model-year vehicle. For the third consecutive year, Porsche tops the rankings with an average of 80 problems per 100 vehicles. Although, that's slightly more than the 74 the German sportscar maker scored in 2014. "While the Japanese automakers continue to make improvements, we're seeing other brands, most notably Korean makes, really accelerating the rate of improvement," Renee Stephens, vice president of US automotive quality at J.D. Power, said in the study's release. In fact, Kia ranks as one of the biggest movers in this year's list. The Korean brand jumped to second place from seventh last year. The company had an average of 86 problems per 100 vehicles, a 20-point improvement. Third place went to Jaguar with an average of 93 problems reported, versus last year's second-place finish with 87 of them. Fourth place was Hyundai, and fifth-place Infiniti also earned a gold star for improvement with 97 issues per 100 vehicles – 31-points better than last year. Fiat still anchored the bottom of the list. However, its 161 problems this year is a lot better than the 206 in 2014. Ranked by nationality, Korean brands (Hyundai and Kia) are now leading the industry in initial quality with an average of 90 problems reported per 100 vehicles. According to J.D. Power, this is the first time Europe's figure beat Japan with 113 and 114 issues, respectively. The American brands also averaged 114. Whereas General Motors dominated last year, the segment awards are spread out in 2015. GM, Hyundai, Nissan, and Volkswagen Group are all tied with four models each earning prizes. For more information, you can also see all of the graphs, here. J.D.

South Korea firms up fuel economy regs following Hyundai/Kia debacle

According to a report from Reuters, South Korea's government has drafted strict new rules for automakers to follow when calculating fuel economy. The legislation comes after a major snafu by Hyundai and Kia that resulted in the automakers lowering the estimated fuel mileage of many popular models - some by several miles per gallon, including the Soul subcompact above - and compensating owners in the US and Canada for the reduction.
The new fuel economy rules were announced by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in South Korea and will see average mileage ratings drop by roughly three to five percent, according to the report. In addition, manufacturers found guilty of overstating mileage figures will be liable for fines of up to $900,000.
These sweeping new regulations will go into effect in the second half of 2013 and, while they won't have any effect on EPA estimates for Hyundai and Kia vehicles in the United States, they are expected to result in new ratings for the two automakers in their home market of South Korea, where they enjoy a whopping 70-percent market share.