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Kia releases second Sedona teaser ahead of New York debut

Kia has released a second teaser image of the next-generation 2015 Sedona minivan ahead of its debut at the New York Auto Show, and it doesn't leave much to the imagination. The van is a much-needed replacement for the current (aging) model that was briefly withdrawn from the US market and then brought back, nearly unchanged.
The new Sedona seems to take a little inspiration from the KV7 concept with its narrowing rear side glass that appears to wrap around to the back. Otherwise, it is the same general shape we have come to know from minivans. That said, the sloping A-pillar and rear spoiler provide a bit more sleekness to the appearance. The original teaser showed off the Sedona's chrome, tabbed grille and headlights.
Kia isn't confirming many details about the new eight-passenger minivan yet. What we know: it rides on a new chassis, power comes from a 3.3-liter, direct-injected V6, and it's going to be offered with Kia's UVO infotainment system. We'll get the full scoop in New York next week, but for now, scroll down for the official announcement.

Chrysler and Hyundai join Pepsi and Coke as top Super Bowl spenders [w/ video]

Super Bowl XLVIII is barely a week away, and some of the early ads are already leaking out. It's timely then that The Street has released rankings of the top five Super Bowl advertisers since 2009, showing Chrysler and Hyundai/Kia taking two of the spots with $131.7 million in cumulative spending.
Since 2010, the cost to air a 30-second Super Bowl ad has risen from $3 million in 2009 to about $4 million in 2014, and about a fifth of advertisers opt for a one-minute ad, which doubles costs. Last year, the ads brought in $292 million, and they have brought in roughly $2 billion since 2010.
Chrysler has spent $64.3 million since 2009 to make it the fourth highest spending company in the last five years. In that time, the company has rebranded itself as it emerged from bankruptcy with the Imported from Detroit ad campaign that premiered in 2011 and last year's God Made a Farmer Ram Trucks ad. Its 2012 Halftime in America sparked national debate about whether it was also a reference to the upcoming presidential election.

Did a US automaker blow the whistle on Hyundai, Kia fuel economy issue?

In all of the most hotly contested mainstream segments of the motoring universe, the difference of one mile per gallon averaged on a widow sticker can mean the difference between a sale and a walk-off - to say nothing of two or three mpg. So, when Hyundai and Kia were forced to reveal that many of their 40-mpg ratings were actually 38s and 37s, well, it made for big news.
It also, conceivably, made for a competitive disadvantage immediately, when the Korean automakers' products were being shopped versus the guys down the block. And it's that disadvantage that makes a recent story from Automotive News so juicy.
AN is reporting that Margo Oge, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, got a tip in 2010 that Hyundai/Kia were "cheating" to get its impressive fuel economy numbers. The tip, said Oge (who retired from the EPA this past September), came from a senior vice president from a domestic automaker. The source was credible enough for Oge to launch an audit of the Hyundai figures, which ultimately lead to the debacle that we reported on a few months ago, and that the Korean company has been trying to bounce back from ever since.