2014 Kia Optima Lx on 2040-cars

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Kia Forte Koup is dead, long live the Honda Civic

A combination of cheap gas and high demand for crossovers means customers looking for a small, economical coupe are few and far between. Cars Direct confirmed that due to slow sales, Kia is killing off the Forte Koup after moving all 2016 models. That leaves the Honda Civic coupe standing alone in a segment that was formerly rich with competition. The only other option is moving into larger, less practical models like the Subaru BRZ, Chevrolet Camaro, and Ford Mustang. Koup sales must have been a small portion of the Forte's overall volume, as the model had its best year ever in 2016. Kia sold more that 100,000 Fortes and is making even bigger gains through the first quarter of 2017. It seems Kia's decision to cancel the Koup has been a long time coming. It was the only variant of the Forte lineup to not receive a significant refresh for 2017. Looks aside, it was hard to make a case for the Koup when going head to head against the Civic. In almost every category, the Honda beats the Kia. The Civic is slightly less expensive, more fuel efficient, and more powerful. The interior was roomier and far more refined, and at the back end the Civic will have a better resale value. It's hard to make a case for a car that's really starting to show its age. Now might be the best time to buy one, as dealers are sure to offer incentives to move the aging models off the lot. Related Video: News Source: Cars Direct Kia Coupe kia forte kia forte koup

Kia Soul EV will go on sale in four more US states

Live from New York, it's the Kia Soul Electric Vehicle! The South Korea-based automaker believes its first mass-produced EV is a ready-for-prime-time-player and will start selling the EV in the Empire State during the fourth quarter. Kia will also expand Soul EV sales to New Jersey, Connecticut, and Maryland, giving the model some pretty good coverage along the Eastern Seaboard. Perhaps those funky hamsters will find yet another reason to rock out. The expansion may be a sign that Americans are gravitating to the Soul EV as quick or quicker than expected. The model delivers 109 horsepower and, probably more importantly, a single-charge range of 93 miles. Kia started selling the Soul EV in California late last year. Then, earlier this year, distribution was expanded to Georgia, Texas, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. Additionally, the Soul was given the first-ever Canadian Green Car of the Year Award. The car sells for a base price of $33,950, and that's before any federal tax incentives kick in. Additionally, Kia may be coming out with a "more" base model that cuts that price by another $2,000. With the fed's help, that could bring the cost down into the $24,000 range, Some states have their own incentives as well. As for New York, eight dealerships will start selling the Soul EV, while six New Jersey dealerships will also have that honor. Take a look at Kia's press release below and go here for our Quick Spin impressions of the car. Related Videos:

Hyundai shutters engine development in shift to electric and hydrogen vehicles

Hyundai is quickly pivoting into an era of electric vehicles. Shortly after announcing it would halve the number of internal combustion models, it launched its first EV on its dedicated Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), the supremely enjoyable Ioniq 5. Now, as The Korea Economic Daily reports, Hyundai Motor Group, which includes sister brand Kia and luxury brand Genesis, has closed its engine development division at its research and development center in South Korea to put those resources into electric powertrain development. According to the report, researchers from engine design are moving to its electrification design center, but a few remain behind to continue to refine existing internal combustion engines. The powertrain system development center will become an electrification test center, and the performance division will focus on electric performance. The group has also established a battery development center, and the R&D Center will also focus on raw materials for batteries and semiconductors. In an email, R&D boss Park Chung-Kook told employees, “Now, it is inevitable to convert into electrification. Our own engine development is a great achievement, but we must change the system to create future innovation based on the great asset from the past.” Hyundai Motor Group is targeting one million EVs a year by 2025, and full electrification by the year 2040. In addition to the newly launched Ioniq 5, Hyundai is planning to launch the Ioniq 6 EV, based on the stunning Prophecy concept, in 2022, and weÂ’ve already seen spy shots of that prototype in testing. That will be followed by the full-size Ioniq 7 SUV in 2024, which was recently previewed by the Seven Concept at the 2021 L.A. Auto Show. Kia is set to launch the EV6 in 2022, and Genesis recently revealed the GV60 electric crossover, both of which will use HyundaiÂ’s E-GMP architecture. Genesis also recently revealed an electric version of the GV70 crossover in China. Of course, Hyundai is also invested in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, both commercial vehicles like its Xcient trucks, and passenger cars like the Nexo and the recently revealed Vision FK concept. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.