2010 Kia Soul Sport Hatchback 4-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Kia hires Morpheus from The Matrix for Super Bowl ad

News of the Kia brand's inclusion in this year's onslaught of Super Bowl ads got out in December of last year, but other than the fact that the coming K900 flagship would carry the day, we knew nothing about the spot. Now AdWeek has revealed that it is Morpheus - he of The Matrix and guru for The One - who will guide us into a previously inconceivable reality in which Kia is a luxury car maker.
What we'll get is a 60-second spot produced by David&Goliath agency, following Morpheus (played by the man who made him famous, Laurence Fishburne) as he does the thing he does best: presenting a choice to a couple at a valet stand, allowing them to choose a red key or a blue key and, Kia would certainly want us to believe by the end of an "unforgettable ride," the truth.
It's Kia's fifth straight trip to the Super Bowl so it knows what to expect, but the task Morpheus has this time - to free your mind concerning the K900 - could be a task just as large as defeating all the agents and sentinels seeking Zion.

Autoblog Podcast #344

Doug DeMuro from Plays With Cars, Infiniti Q50, Subaru BRZ STI, Porsche Macan
Episode #344 of the Autoblog podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth and Executive Editor Chris Paukert are joined by Doug DeMuro, author of Plays With Cars and prolific internet autowriting presence. Topics include the latest spy shots of the Porsche Macan, the 2014 Infiniti Q50, and the teaser images we've recently seen of a Subaru BRZ wearing STI badges. As always, we start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions. For those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. You can follow along after the jump with our Q&A. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #344:

Hyundai Motor heir Euisun Chung takes over from father after 20 years in waiting

SEOUL — Hyundai Motor Group appointed Euisun Chung as group chairman on Wednesday, cementing his succession from his octogenarian father in a move likely to give impetus to the world's fifth-largest automaker's push into electric vehicles and flying cars. In the first generational handover at the South Korean automobile giant in 20 years, Chung, 49, said he hoped to lead change at South Korea's second-biggest conglomerate as it battles to stay ahead of the pack in a time of rapid technological innovation in the global auto industry. "Carrying on their bold and innovative legacies, I feel privileged, yet also a sense of great responsibility for opening a new chapter of Hyundai Motor Group," Chung said in his inauguration speech to employees. Chung identified autonomous driving, electrification, hydrogen fuel cell, robotics and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) — industry jargon for flying cars — as his initiatives for the future. Hyundai Motor shares were trading up 0.3% after rising as much as 2.5% after the appointment, while the wider market was down 0.6%. Kia Motors and Hyundai Mobis fell 1.6% and 1.1%, respectively.   Legacies Hyundai Motor Group earlier on Wednesday said Chung had been promoted to chairman from executive vice chairman, replacing his father, Mong-Koo Chung, who was made honorary chairman. Key affiliates of Hyundai Motor Group, including Hyundai Motor, endorsed his inauguration unanimously. The appointment makes Chung the latest third-generation leader to take over one of South Korea's family-led conglomerates, which have been credited with lifting the war-stricken country out of poverty since the 1950s. His father took the wheel of the group in 2000 and transformed the company, once mocked for poor vehicle quality, into the world's No.5 automaker. The 82-year-old has been stepping back from frontline operations in recent years, and gave up his board seat in Hyundai Motor earlier this year. Euisun Chung has played an increasingly visible leadership role since September 2018 when he was promoted to executive vice chairman. Hyundai Motor Group invested $1.6 billion in a self-driving technology joint venture with U.S. Aptiv, forged a partnership with Uber on electric air taxis and invested in ride-hailing firm Grab. In July, Chung set a goal to win more than 10% of the global market for battery EVs by 2025.