2008 Kia Spectra Ex Sedan 4-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Autoblog's Editors' Picks: Our complete list of the best new vehicles

It's not easy to earn an “EditorsÂ’ Picks” at Autoblog as part of the rating and review process that every new vehicle goes through. Our editors have been at it a long time, which means weÂ’ve driven and reviewed virtually every new car you can go buy on the dealer lot. There are disagreements, of course, and all vehicles have their strengths and weaknesses, but this list features what we think are the best new vehicles chosen by Autoblog editors. We started this formal review process back in 2018, so there's quite of few of them now. So what does it mean to be an EditorsÂ’ Pick? In short, it means itÂ’s a car that we can highly recommend purchasing. There may be one, multiple, or even zero vehicles in any given segment that we give the green light to. What really matters is that itÂ’s a vehicle that weÂ’d tell a friend or family member to go buy if theyÂ’re considering it, because itÂ’s a very good car. The best way to use this list is is with the navigation links below. Click on a segment, and you'll quickly arrive at the top rated pickup truck or SUV, for example. Use the back button to return to these links and search in another segment, like sedans. If youÂ’ve been keeping up with our monthly series of the latest vehicles to earn EditorsÂ’ Pick status, youÂ’re likely going to be familiar with this list already. If not, welcome to the complete list that weÂ’ll be keeping updated as vehicles enter (and others perhaps exit) the good graces of our editorial team. We rate a new car — giving it a numerical score out of 10 — every time thereÂ’s a significant refresh or if it happens to be an all-new model. Any given vehicle may be impressive on a first drive, but we wait until itÂ’s in the hands of our editors to put it through the same type of testing as every other vehicle that rolls through our test fleet before giving it the EditorsÂ’ Pick badge. This ensures consistency and allows more voices to be heard on each individual model. And just so you donÂ’t think weÂ’ve skipped trims or variants of a model, we hand out the EditorsÂ’ Pick based on the overarching model to keep things consistent. So, when you read that the 3 Series is an EditorsÂ’ Pick, yes, that includes the 330i to the M3 and all the variants in between. If thereÂ’s a particular version of that car we vehemently disagree with, we make sure to call that out.

Hyundai sees tough year ahead, plans to introduce 13 new models

SEOUL — South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group predicted another year of tepid car sales growth on the back of a slow 2018, saying trade protectionism adds uncertainty and major markets such as the United States and China remained sluggish. In his first New Year address to employees, group heir apparent Euisun Chung said Hyundai Motor Co and Kia Motors would complete a restructuring of South Korea's second-biggest conglomerate, which is widely expected to pave the way for him to formally succeed his octogenarian father as head of the group. The complicated succession plans come as Hyundai contends with a bunch of problems that have cost it market share in China and the United States and stalled its rise up the ranks of global automakers. It missed a boom in sports utility vehicles (SUVs), faces potential U.S. tariffs and a U.S. investigation over how it handled a vehicle recall, and lost ground in technological advances such as self-driving cars. "Business uncertainties are heightening as the global economy continues to falter. Walls of protectionism are being constructed around the world," Chung, 48, told hundreds of employees at the group's headquarters in Seoul. "Internally, we face challenging tasks such as stabilizing business in major markets like the U.S. and China, while simultaneously enhancing our responsiveness to drive future growth." Hyundai and Kia — together the world's fifth-biggest automaker — set what they called a "conservative target" of 7.6 million vehicle sales in 2019, a 3 percent increase from the 7.399 million vehicles sold last year. The 2018 sales fell short of the group's target of 7.55 million vehicles, marking its fourth consecutive annual sales goal miss. The duo sold 7.25 million vehicles in 2017. Morgan Stanley expects global auto production to fall 1 percent in 2019, the first drop in nine years. In that environment, the group said it would launch 13 new or face-lifted models in 2019, including a premium Genesis SUV, the big Hyundai Palisade SUV and the Sonata sedan. "Hyundai will be launching new models, but competitors will be also doing so, making it difficult for Hyundai to increase shares in the sluggish markets in China, U.S. and Europe," said Sean Kim, an analyst at Dongbu Securities. Hyundai shares ended down 3.8 percent and Kia slumped 2.7 percent, while the wider market <.KS11> was down 1.5 percent.

2018 Kia Niro PHEV First Drive Review | Embracing the new normal

CULVER CITY, Calif. — A cloak of invisibility envelops the 2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid everywhere it roams in Los Angeles. In Southern California's major cities, plug-ins and electric vehicles line the driveways and clog the freeways like nowhere else in the United States. And every time a new EV/FCV/HEV/PEV/PHEV/ZEV hits the streets (eco-minded drivers loves acronyms), it's ostensibly competing for attention. But the Niro PHEV, which is set to launch imminently in major markets across the United States, isn't looking for attention. It's the most recent, under-the-radar jab at the Toyota Prius family from the South Korean manufacturer interested in stealing market share. If Kia aimed for the Toyota Prius with the traditional Niro hybrid, it shot dead-on at the EV attributes of the Prius Prime plug-in when developing the Niro PHEV. Like the Prius Prime, the Niro PHEV has an all-electric range of 26 miles. Its 3.3-KWh onboard charger is exactly the same strength as the Toyota's. And both plug-ins take about three hours to fully charge on a Level 2 (240V) charger. (Plug it into a grounded household outlet for an overnight recharge.) Those are hardly class-leading numbers, but theoretically enough to satisfy the demands of around-town driving. The similarly priced Chevrolet Volt offers twice the electric range, as does the larger Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid. What you get with the Niro PHEV, in essence, is a Niro that's ideal if you have overnight access to EV charging. We won't rehash the details of how the Niro looks inside and out — for that, check out our First Drive here — since it's nearly identical to the cordless model. Beyond "hybrid blue" accents on the exterior, it's tough to distinguish the newest Niro from a distance. The interior is nearly identical, as well, and no trunk space was sacrificed by the large, 8.9-kWh battery that sits underneath the cargo hold. And the total system power of 139 horsepower, no different than the Niro, means that this is more of a dragstrip challenger for a Prius than, say, the much quicker Chevrolet Bolt. An unexpectedly altruistic feature is the ability for the charge port to automatically unlock once the Niro PHEV reaches a full charge, allowing other EV drivers to safely unplug the Kia and sip electricity for themselves. Those thirsty drivers will need to be well-read about the Niro PHEV, however, to know this capability exists; the car offers no explicit indicators.