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Limited-edition Kia Stinger GTS gets all-wheel drive with a drift mode

The Kia Stinger is currently available with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, each with fairly distinct characters. With the limited-edition Stinger GTS, Kia wants to blend the best parts of each and create a third option for buyers: Drift Mode. Although the GTS will still be available as RWD or AWD, the all-wheel setup is focal point of the new limited-edition model. Revised to integrate "rear-wheel DNA," the new D-AWD system features a mechanical limited-slip rear differential for improved traction and power distribution. Kia also says the control logic has been tuned with a new transmission shift pattern, improved stability control, better slip control, and countersteer detection. The D-AWD-equipped Stinger GTS will have three different driving modes: comfort, sport, and drift. Comfort mode sends 60 percent of power to the rear, sport mode sends 80 percent to the rear, and drift mode gives the rear wheels 100 percent control. Drift mode will also hold gears to maintain power. No powertrain alterations will be made, as the GTS will get the 365-horsepower twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6 that pairs with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The rest of the changes aim to make the GTS feel slightly aftermarket. It gets an exclusive Federation Orange paint job, a Stinger emblem on the rear, and a rear GTS badge. Kia also gave the GTS real carbon fiber on the hood, side mirror caps, and side vents. Inside, the GTS is equipped with a Chamude headliner, an Alcantara steering wheel and center console, a wireless smartphone charger, a 720-watt Harmon/Kardon sound system, and a sunroof. Kia plans to start production of the GTS this spring and is limiting the run to 800 units. The RWD model starts at $44,995, and the AWD model starts at $47,495. Featured Gallery 2020 Kia Stinger GTS: New York 2019 View 14 Photos Related Gallery Kia Stinger GTS View 16 Photos News Source: KiaImage Credit: Live photos copyright 2019 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com New York Auto Show Kia Hatchback Performance Sedan 2019 new york auto show drift mode

Kia will launch a fully autonomous car by 2030

Kia promises to have a fully autonomous vehicle on sale by 2030, and the South Korean automaker will provide an early preview at that next-gen tech by launching the Drive Wise sub-brand at the Consumer Electronics Show. The new branding will encompass all of the company's advanced driver assistance systems and innovations in the human-machine interface over the next 15 years. Before Kia's fully driverless vehicle hits the street, the company thinks that partially autonomous Drive Wise technology could be ready by 2020. These early steps are largely what the company has on display at CES. Tech like Highway Autonomous Driving and Urban Autonomous Driving use sensors and GPS to allow a model to control itself. An Emergency Stop System can automatically get the car off the road if there's a problem, and an electronic valet would even allow a vehicle to park without a driver inside. Kia took a major step toward its autonomous future in December 2015 when it received permission from Nevada to test driverless tech on public roads there with a Soul EV (pictured above). The company and Hyundai have also pledged $2 billion in research through 2018 to help bring these advanced systems into production. Kia also folds future in-vehicle tech under the Drive Wise branding, and its I-Cockpit concept shows some of these solutions off at CES. This demonstrator of a next-gen vehicle cabin supports gesture controls and can detect an owner's fingerprint to adapt the interior to the person's preferred music and climate settings. Autonomous tech is one of the hottest parts of the auto industry right now, and a host of companies are ready to challenge Kia's coming innovations. For example, General Motors plans to test a network of driverless vehicles with ridesharing service Lyft, and Ford and Google might form a similar partnership. BMW also could show of a concept with a nearly production-ready solution early in 2016. Kia Motors introduces new 'DRIVE WISE' sub-brand for autonomous driving technologies - Kia 'DRIVE WISE' encompasses future Advanced Driver Assistance Systems - DRIVE WISE intelligent safety technologies exhibited at 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas - U.S.

Kia confirms Soul EV headed to US, cue the electric hamsters

Kia has been toying with the notion of an electric vehicle for years now. In the two years since the Korean automaker revealed the Ray EV concept, rumors of a battery-powered production vehicle have persisted, evidenced most recently by spy shots showing an electric version of the Soul hatchback this past July. Now Kia has officially announced that the Soul EV is heading for production.
Although Kia has yet to reveal official photos or specifications, this is the first confirmation we've received that the Soul EV is indeed headed for a showroom near you. Set to arrive sometime next year, the Soul EV promises to pack an as-yet unspecified arrangement of electric motors and batteries and visual cues that aim to improve the vehicle's aerodynamics and differentiate it from the conventionally powered Soul.
We'll have to wait until its debut approaches at an undetermined upcoming auto show in the US for more details, but for now you can delve into the official announcement below and scope out those same spy shots in the gallery above.