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Kia Niro Concept is the miniature Soul of the future

The Kia Niro Concept has officially made its Frankfurt Motor Show debut, and aside from the product specialist who would not get out of our photographer's way, this was our first in-person look at the Niro Concept, which first broke cover near the end of last month. The compact, rough-and-tumble crossover would slot in below the Soul were it to enter production, with Kia calling it a B-segment competitor.
The Niro sports neon accents, although both the trim and the actual color of the car itself are far lighter than they appeared in the original press photography. The cabin, meanwhile, looks like it was completely crafted from a single piece of rubber. We suppose that'd make it easy to clean out, sort of like a Jeep Wrangler.
Kia claims the Niro was designed "in Europe with European tastes" in mind, and that its production options will be based on the response of the general public. Take a look above for a full gallery of live photos, and then down below for the press release and images from Kia.

NHTSA investigating 8 million airbags not made by Takata

In a shocking turn of events, we have a line of airbags under investigation that weren't made by Takata. Rather, Automotive News reports that 8,000,000 airbags made by ARC Automotive Inc. are under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to Automotive News, NHTSA is looking into ARC's airbags after two injuries and a recent death were attributed to the company's products. The two injuries occurred first and prompted the initial inquiry of 490,000 airbags, which then expanded after an airbag from a different line caused the death of a Canadian driver. The airbags in question are found in GM, FCA, Hyundai and Kia products, and all automakers are cooperating with the investigation, Automotive News reports. It is also important to note that these airbags have not been recalled, as NHTSA is trying to determine the issue and whether a recall is necessary. NHTSA also told the news outlet that the ARC inflators use a different design than those from Takata, instead using some pressurized gas and an ammonium nitrate charge. While the design may be different, the Takata inflators also used ammonium nitrate propellant, which other manufacturers have avoided. We will be watching this situation closely to see what develops. Here's hoping – for our collective safety and sanity – that we won't have to go through another airbag crisis like with the Takata recall. Related Video: News Source: Automotive NewsImage Credit: Shutterstock Government/Legal Hyundai Kia Safety FCA airbag fiat chrysler automobiles

2015 Kia Rio freshens up for France

We've always felt that the current-generation Rio is styled with European flair, so good on Kia for showing its refreshed new look here at the Paris Motor Show.
The B-segment hatchback's aggressive looks get modestly more so for the new model year, with a revamped tiger nose grille and new light fixtures, along with a pair of hash marks in the fog lamp area. To us, the current car, introduced for 2012, still looks quite fresh, but we like the subtly new light fixtures and suite of new wheel designs.