2014 Kia Soul Base on 2040-cars

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A hotter hamster wheel | 2017 Kia Soul Turbo First Drive

Finally. Finally. After much teasing, taunting, and auto show concepting, Kia is making its funktastic hatchbox, the Soul, with a turbocharged engine. The new, 2017 Soul Turbo takes all the good things about the standard car – the space, style, comfort, and long list of standard and optional equipment – and adds a dose of performance, courtesy of the 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder also used in the Forte5 SX and Forte Koup, as well as Hyundai's Elantra Sport and Veloster Turbo. It was a long time coming. According to Kia, consumers like the Soul – to the tune of almost 150,000 units last year – but aren't as fond of its previous two-engine lineup, which previously topped out at a 161-horsepower, 150-pound-foot naturally aspirated four-cylinder. Alongside all-wheel drive, more power was at the top of the customer wish list. While all-wheel drive is absent here – the packaging is too tricky and the cost too high, Kia tells us – the Soul Turbo hits a market white space, offering small CUV utility with entertaining but not overwhelming straight-line performance. This is, in the end, a higher-power version and not a full-on performance model, and the changes were made without compromising the friendly look and comfort we like. Yes, the Turbo-specific 18-inch wheels look lovely, but they're shod in the same 45-series all-season rubber as the 18s available on other Souls. And while the handsome leather-wrapped, flat-bottom steering wheel is sporty, the supportive-but-not-claustrophobic seats are a reminder that this is an everyday vehicle. Even the exterior accents – new front and rear fascias, side sills, red exterior badges and accents, and a dual-tip exhaust – aren't enough to overshadow the Soul's funky, friendly, and cute look. Even the oily bits aren't free of Kia's balanced approach. Admittedly, that's not entirely evident after looking at the powertrain details. The turbo 1.6-liter produces 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, which isn't a lot for cars like the Veloster Turbo or Forte5 SX, but compared to other small CUVs and the Soul's 130-hp non-turbo 1.6-liter and 161-hp 2.0-liter, it's a big improvement. That 2.0-liter engine is likable, with enough low and mid-range torque that we can't complain about the 4,700-rpm peak, but the total figures are so low and the Soul's 3,163-pound curb weight so high, getting anywhere briskly means wringing everything out of it. The Soul Turbo does not have this problem.

2016 Kia Sorento now an IIHS Top Safety Pick

The new Kia Sorento has taken it up a notch, securing a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety thanks to a major improvement in the small overlap crash test. When the Sorento was in 2014, the crash dummy didn't have an easy time of it, almost missing the front airbag and suffering nearly a foot of intrusion in the footwell. That earned it a "poor" mark. The 2016 model did much better, with the dummy properly restrained, proper airbag deployment, and just four inches of intrusion in the footwell, all of which was good enough for a "good" rating. Add that to the good ratings it's received for all the other tests, the Sorento's overall status is elevated to Top Safety Pick. You can check out video of the small overlap test above. News Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Kia Safety Crossover Videos crash test kia sorento

Kia debuts Forte 5-door with available 201-HP turbo engine

The US-bound 2014 Kia Forte first showed up in sedan form back at the LA Auto Show last year, but Kia unveiled the hatchback version of the car today at the Chicago Auto Show. Unlike the current Forte five-door the 2014 will feature styling that is distinct from its sedan counterpart, but the big news is it will also get a few extra ponies under the hood.
Since the Forte five-door will only be offered in EX and SX trim, the sedan's 1.8-liter inline-four is not offered on this model. The base engine in the EX is the 2.0-liter direct-injected four, producing 173 horsepower and 154 pound-feet of torque. Those looking for more power should check out the Forte SX, which uses the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine currently found in the Hyundai Veloster Turbo. This engine produces 201 hp and 195 lb-ft, and it can be paired to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission; the latter of which is optional and comes with paddle shifters.
Aside from the obvious styling changes required for the added cargo area, the 2014 Kia Forte five-door gets numerous design elements to set it apart from the sedan. The face of the new hatchback will get a much smaller tiger-nose grille than the sedan, but it will get a larger lower intake, which we can't help but compare to the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. Kia also gave the Forte dual exhaust outlets and LED taillights, and the SX model will get stylish 18-inch wheels. Inside, the five-door design allows the Forte to increase its cargo volume to 23.2 cubic feet, and the cabin can also be equipped with features such as heated front seats, ventilated driver's seat, navigation, leather seating and dual-zone climate control.