2014 Kia Cadenza Premium on 2040-cars

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2014 Kia Sorento

For most new car shoppers, three-row crossovers are little more than a way for the family-minded to avoid succumbing to the minivan stigma. Admit it - the only things that differentiate most larger CUVs from minivans are their lack of sliding side doors and - on most of them - the option of all-wheel drive. Having blossomed into a popular segment with thicker profit margins, though, automakers have plenty of incentive to keep their offerings fresh, and that's exactly why Kia is presenting its 2014 Sorento so soon.
At first glance, the crisply styled utility vehicle seen here appears to be nothing more than a mid-cycle refresh - and not a particularly extensive one, at that. But that's not the case at all. Despite looking very similar to the second-generation vehicle that came on the scene for the 2010 model year, this is an all-new Sorento. Or, more precisely, it's about 80-percent new. Kia says less than 20 percent of the parts have been carried over from the 2013 Sorento, and that's a pretty typical amount for an 'all-new' vehicle generation.
Since we've yet to spend quality time with the "Made in the USA" Sorento for more than a short First Drive in Arizona last February, we snagged the keys to a 2014 model in the all-new SX Limited trim level for a lengthy backroad sojourn from Florida to South Carolina.

Sales incentive growth clustered around brands with few CUVs, trucks

While it's arguably been around the longest, the dominance of the four-door sedan has been under threat for many years. As a further sign of the hurtin' that SUVs and crossovers have put on today's four-doors, a new report from Automotive News points to the increasing use of incentives by brands reliant on cars and light on CUVs and pickups.
Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen and Kia have all been stung by double-digit increases in their incentives-to-transaction price ratio, according to AN, which cites data from TrueCar. Honda's ratio is up 14 percent, while Toyota, VW and Kia are up 18, 15 and 19 percent, respectively.
"Most of the incentive growth we have seen is in product segments with low demand - midsized or large sedans," TrueCar CEO John Krafcik told AN. "As this trend goes on, the brands with three-sedan strategies are going to be in worse shape on incentive spending than the crossover brands."

Kia calls in 87k Fortes over fan fire issue

An electrical issue on the 2014 Forte has prompted Kia and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue a recall for 86,880 vehicles across America. The problem stems from the resistor for the cooling fan that the Korean automaker has found could overheat and melt, which would increase the risk of a fire. And fires in an automobile, needless to say, are not a good thing – unless they're occurring inside a combustion chamber. The issue affects units manufactured between December 5, 2012, and April 17, 2014. Owners of said Fortes can expect to hear from Kia to arrange to bring their vehicles in to their local dealer to have the multi-fuse unit replaced – and, for those manufactured between December 5, 2012, and January 27, 2014, the cooling fan as well. Vehicles equipped with the 1.8-liter engine will also have their ECUs reflashed while they're at it. RECALL Subject : Cooling Fan Resistor May Melt Report Receipt Date: JAN 16, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V015000 Component(s): ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Potential Number of Units Affected: 86,880 Manufacturer: Kia Motors America SUMMARY: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2014 Kia Forte vehicles manufactured December 5, 2012, to April 17, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the cooling fan resistor may overheat and melt. CONSEQUENCE: If the cooling fan resistor overheats and melts, there is an increased risk of a vehicle fire. REMEDY: Kia will notify owners, and for vehicles produced from December 5, 2012 to January 27, 2014, dealers will replace the cooling fan resistor and multi-fuse unit. For vehicles produced from January 28, 2014 to April 17, 2014, dealers will replace the multi-fuse unit only. Owners of vehicles with a 1.8L engine will also have the engine control unit software updated. The recall is expected to begin February 24, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC113. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.