2013 Kia Soul on 2040-cars

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2017 Kia Cadenza has new styling, greater efficiency

The current Kia Cadenza went on sale in the US in April 2013, and three years later a new generation arrives at the 2016 New York Auto Show. This isn't just a mild refresh of the existing sedan, either. The latest Cadenza hits showrooms in late 2016 with improved styling, a stiffer platform, and a more efficient engine. Kia is holding back the 2017 Cadenza's exact powertrain specs until closer to launch. The new sedan still uses a 3.3-liter V6, which now has an estimated 290 horsepower, and the company plans to retune the powerplant for better fuel economy. The sedan also has an eight-speed automatic gearbox rather than the present six-speed. The current Cadenza makes 293 hp and has EPA estimates of 19 miles per gallon city, 28 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined. The model's lighter platform makes the most of the improved powertrain. The updated chassis now consists of over 50 percent Advanced High Strength Steel, which is twice as much as before. The 2017 model has the same length as its predecessor but a longer wheelbase that increases rear legroom by half an inch. Additional sound deadening and acoustic absorbing laminate for the windshield and front windows create a quieter interior, too. The 2017 Cadenza's styling is a more angular evolution of the current sedan's stodgy look, with sharper edges for Kia's tiger nose grille, which is now convex. The Cadenza's lower trim levels feature mesh in the center, but the more expensive versions have vertical fins (pictured above). The four-door also has Z-shaped signature lights in the headlights, and the same motif is on the taillights. The latest Cadenza's interior cossets occupants with more soft-touch materials and high-tech amenities. Customers can spec active safety systems like adaptive cruise control with stop and go, a forward collision warning with automatic braking, lane departure warning, and the Smart Blind Spot Detection System that can brake the wheels to keep from drifting toward an adjacent vehicle. The rapid replacement for the last Cadenza suggests Kia wants to stay relevant among large, front-wheel drive sedans, like the Nissan Maxima, Toyota Avalon, and Buick LaCrosse. The new styling at least makes the Kia look more interesting in the segment, and the updated powertrain makes sure the four-door keeps up in the class.

2014 Kia Forte Koup SX

The Kia Forte and Hyundai Elantra have long followed similar paths, with each available in a four-door sedan, a five-door hatch and (most recently) a two-door coupe bodystyle. The recent death of the Hyundai Elantra Coupe in the US may be threatening to change the narrative on these two affordable compact lines, of course, but the Korean two-doors have a lot in common under their distinct skins. Their most recent iterations came to market under the power of the same 2.0-liter, 173-horsepower four-cylinder paired with six-speed automatic transmissions and riding atop MacPherson strut front suspensions and torsion-beam setups out back. Each arrived weighing between 2,800 and 3,000 pounds and could be had in base form for less than $20,000. Considering this, the empirical performance stats figured to be similar.
There's an important distinction to be made, however. Rather than offer a simple two-door version of a four-door car, like Hyundai did with its Elantra Coupe, Kia has gone to lengths to craft a vehicle with its own unique attitude and attributes. Kia has embraced a sportier stance with its two-door Forte Koup, offering up a standard six-speed manual and going further in an effort to craft a more unique, aggressive coupe design.
That drive to be different was further accentuated last year, when Kia raided Hyundai's parts bin and plucked out the 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder from the Veloster Turbo. The resulting car is decidedly different than any other Forte we've tested, while also feeling like a better all-around product than the smaller hot hatch it stole its engine from. To see just how much better, we drove the Forte Koup SX for a week and set about seeing how this enhanced model stacks up as a performance offering.

Kia's second Super Bowl commercial lets booth professionals have their revenge

This is more like it, Kia. After last year's highly successful Adriana Lima-infused Super Bowl commercial for the Optima, we weren't that impressed with this year's Super Bowl ad for the new Sorento called Space Babies that Kia showed us earlier in the week. Its second spot for this year's big game, however, gave us a chuckle.
Called Hotbots and starring Miss USA Alyssa Campanella as a futuristic robot, the ad plays out a fantasy that we know for certain has crossed the minds of many booth professionals. These are the attractive set of women and men who plant themselves next to new cars at auto shows. More than just eye candy, they're usually extremely well educated on the product's specs and features. Despite that fact, they have to put up with constant oogling and questions like, "Do you come with the car?" What this T-1000 won't put up with is fingerprints on her shiny new 2014 Kia Forte, and she does something about it. Watch for yourself below.