2019 Kia Optima S on 2040-cars

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Kia EV6, Nissan Frontier, Range Rover and VW Taos | Autoblog Podcast #738

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined byYahoo Finance Senior Reporter Pras Subramanian. First, they discuss the cars they've been driving, including the Kia EV6, Nissan Frontier, Land Rover Range Rover and Volkswagen Taos. Then they discuss the state of certain brands like Bentley, Ferrari and Polestar. They also talk about the most recent quarterly sales updates, including what's going on with Tesla in China. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #738 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving: 2022 Kia EV6 2022 Nissan Frontier 2022 Land Rover Range Rover 2022 Volkswagen Taos The state of Bentley, Ferrari and Polestar Q2 sales trends Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: 2022 Kia EV6 walkaround at the 2021 Chicago Auto Show

Kia previews drop-top Optima for SEMA

You don't see a lot of four-door convertibles these days, but that's just what Kia has in store for the SEMA show this year. It's called the A1A, and it's based on the Optima sedan you can pick up at your local showroom. Just don't expect this one to go into production anytime soon. The Kia Optima A1A concept is just one in a series of regional specials that the Korean automaker is preparing for the tuner expo in Las Vegas. It's already given us glimpses at a Sorento inspired by the Northwest Coast, and a Forte Koup that pays tribute to the South. The Optima A1A joins in on the action to represent Florida, adopting not only an open-air body-style but also suicide rear doors and 20-inch chrome wheels fitted on a dropped coilover suspension. It's all done up in bright teal with an off-white leather interior. The turbo four produces the same 245 hp as stock, but is fitted with a high-performance exhaust. It's one of six concepts - four of them never seen before - that Kia will be presenting at SEMA this year, and we're looking forward to seeing what the next one will look like before there'll all presented in full on Tuesday. Related Video: KIA'S 2015 SEMA PRESS CONFERENCE INFORMATION America's wanderlust is found from coast to coast and everywhere in between. The A1A Optima takes inspiration from the iconic Florida A1A highway by letting the sunshine in and taking the all-new 2016 Optima in a new direction with its sliced top, shortened windshield and room for four. Reinforced steel tubes have been discretely hidden within the body so that the vehicle retains a rigid structure. The back doors of the A1A Optima swing open on rear-mounted hinges, adding a touch of whimsy and fun while complementing the roadster style. A gleaming set of 20-in. wheels are bolted to a Ksport coilover suspension, which dramatically lowers ride height. Soft butter-cream leather bucket seats up front and custom double buckets in back are separated by extended armrests and a custom center console. The powerful 245-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine is combined with a high-performance exhaust. Kia Motors America will unveil four all-new custom vehicles at its press conference Tuesday, November 3 at 9:00 AM, booth #10809

IIHS says these are the safest cars of 2013

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has revealed its annual list of Top Safety Picks, an award that highlights automobiles it says offer "superior crash protection." A new and still more significant award, the Top Safety Pick+ honor, is given to those vehicles that earn good ratings for occupant protection in four out of five areas of measure. And while some 117 vehicles were given the TSP seal of approval for 2013, just 13 passed muster for TSP+.
To be fair, IIHS only evaluated 29 vehicles with its new testing procedures for TSP+ (we'd expect that the number of qualified cars will rise substantially for 2014). Luxury and Near Luxury midsize cars were the first groups evaluated, followed by midsizers in the Moderately Priced Cars category - unsurprisingly, it's only midsize cars that you'll find among the class this year.
Only two luxury sedans made the list of 13 for 2013: the Acura TL and Volvo S60. The other 11 cars on the list included entries from domestic, Japanese and German car makers: Dodge Avenger, Chrysler 200, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord (sedan and coupe), Kia Optima (but not its close kin, the Hyundai Sonata, strangely), Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy and Outback, Suzuki Kizashi and the Volkswagen Passat all made the grade.