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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.

Kia recalls over 50k new Soul compacts over steering issue

Kia is recalling certain 2014 models of its adorable Soul due to a bad adhesive used in the steering system. According to the bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the "thread-locking adhesive" that attaches the plug between the pinion gear and steering gear assembly could come loose.
Should that happen, the condition could lead to a "loss of steering," which, of course increases the likelihood of a crash. The 51,641 affected cars were built between July 21, 2013 and January 17, 2014. There have been no reported accidents, let alone injuries or deaths due to this issue.
Kia is in the process of notifying owners of the affected vehicles as well as dealers in possession of the faulty Souls.

Recharge Wrap-up: Kia Soul EV, Renault Zoe range boosts

California has removed its limit on the number of HOV lane access stickers available for plug-in hybrids. While the state removed limits for white stickers for solo drivers of battery electric vehicles to use the carpool lane, the green stickers for PHEVs and range-extended EVs had a limit of 85,000, which was reached months ago. Now, BEVs and PHEVs will each have an unlimited number of access stickers until the program expires on January 1, 2019. Read more at Green Car Reports. Kia could improve the driving range of the Soul EV in order to better compete with newer offerings. While its 93-mile range was competitive with most EVs when it was launched as a 2015 model, the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3 have since surpassed it, and other forthcoming affordable EVs like the Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model 3 will set the bar even higher. As such, Autocar says the Soul EV should get a range boost with a mid-cycle refresh for the 2018 model year. Read more at Autocar, and at Green Car Reports. Renault said to be set to unveil a new Zoe EV with a driving range of over 200 miles. With a debut at the Paris Motor Show in October, the popular European EV hatchback will about double its current range. Using a new battery pack from LG Chem, as well as a smaller, more efficient electric motor, the improved range would help make the Zoe even more popular as people make the switch to electric driving in Europe. Read more from Electrek. Related Gallery 2016 Renault Zoe Z.E.: Geneva 2016 View 16 Photos News Source: Green Car Reports, Green Car Reports, Autocar, ElectrekImage Credit: Kia Government/Legal Green Kia Renault Electric recharge wrapup