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2017 Kia Cadenza is a redesigned head scratcher

The second-generation Kia Cadenza has unexpectedly bowed at the 2016 New York Auto Show, and we're left wondering how this thing even survived to get a second generation. The Cadenza has been on sale since 2013 and it's never sold over 10,000 units in one year. Even if you combine US and Canadian sales, Kia's best year for the Cadenza was 2014, where it sold just 9,427 cars. So, what's Kia done to the second-gen car to improve on that disappointing stat? Perhaps the biggest change is the platform the Cadenza rides on. It's lighter and stiffer, which means it's probably going to be a far better dancer than the boat-like first-gen model. Cutting the weight also allowed Kia's engineers to fit more sound deadening, which alongside a sound-absorbing laminated windshield and front windows will likely lead to a quieter ride. Better handling and a quieter ride? Okay Kia, we're paying attention. The Cadenza's 3.3-liter V6 still sits under hood, but it's paired to an eight-speed automatic for the first time. That, alongside a new tune for the engine, should improve on the current Cadenza's 19-mile-per-gallon city and 28-mpg highway stats. Kia hasn't released an estimate of how much of an improvement it will be, but we suspect it'll be modest. Frankly, we're still a bit confused about why Kia is carrying on with the Cadenza. Its rivals sell in far higher volumes – in 2015, the Nissan Maxima sold over 40,000 units, the Buick LaCrosse did 42,000, and the Toyota Avalon did 60,000 – and two of those cars, the Maxima and LaCrosse, have just been fully and completely reworked. Then take into account America's increasing disdain for sedans/infatuation with crossovers, and Kia pushing through the second-gen Cadenza is just a puzzling move. Still, the visual updates, platform improvements, and powertrain changes are positive – will that be enough to turn around the Cadenza's struggling sales? We have no idea, but things can't get much worse.

Hyundai And Kia Penalized $350 Million For Overstated MPG Claims

Nearly two years after Hyundai and Kia announced they exaggerated fuel economy numbers for several of their most popular models, the two Korean automakers have paid a heavy penalty for the transgressions. The Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement Monday that will cost the two car companies approximately $350 million. The financial sum includes a $100 million fine, the largest ever levied under the Clean Air Act, and about $200 million in forfeited greenhouse-gas emissions credits. At a time when car buyers rank fuel economy as a top concern when they head to dealerships and the federal government has mandated increased efficiency, Attorney General Eric Holder said the settlement should serve as a warning to automakers not to fudge their numbers. "This will send a strong message that cheating is not profitable," he said. The settlement ends a federal lawsuit filed against the automakers in U.S. District Court, but it's important to note that it doesn't end a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of consumers. A preliminary settlement in that case, based in Los Angeles, was approved last month, but final approval isn't expected until July 2015. Officials with the EPA said the $100 million figure roughly equals the economic benefits the two companies received from exaggerating the mileage claims on the window stickers of new cars. Fuel-efficient boasts helped Hyundai and Kia establish a strong foothold in the U.S. marketplace. Advertisements for the Hyundai Elantra stated the vehicle achieved 40 miles per gallon in highway driving, and helped the car win the prestigious North American Car Of The Year honors at the Detroit Auto Show for its 2012 model. In July 2011, the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog began receiving complaints from consumers that the Elantra and other Hyundai models fell short of their stated mileage claims in real-world driving. The group wrote to the EPA and Hyundai, asking both to investigate. Government officials said Kia had overstated the mileage on its popular Kia Soul crossover by 6 miles per gallon, and more than a dozen overall models were affected. On Monday, EPA administrator Gina McCarthy said the violations were "egregious." Based on the exaggerations, the EPA calculated that Hyundai and Kia had underreported the greenhouse gas emissions of their fleets by about 4.75 metric tons over the estimated lifetime of the vehicles. That figure aided in the $200 million credit forfeiture.

Autoblog Podcast #398

Episode #398 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Brandon Turkus, and Michael Harley talk about the 2015 Ford Mustang, the 2015 Toyota Camry, and the Congressional grilling NHTSA received last week. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #398: Topics: 2015 Ford Mustang 2015 Toyota Camry NHTSA under Congressional fire In The Autoblog Garage: 2014 Lexus ES 300h 2014 Lexus GS 350 F-Sport 2015 Kia K900 Hosts: Dan Roth, Michael Harley, Brandon Turkus Runtime: 01:36:56 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 2015 Ford Mustang - 28:58 2015 Toyota Camry - 42:41 NHTSA - 57:55 Q&A - 01:17:15 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Government/Legal Podcasts Ford Kia Lexus Toyota