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BMW M850i Convertible, VW Tiguan and Easter Jeep Safari concepts | Autoblog Podcast #669

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. This week, they've been driving the BMW M850i xDrive Convertible and VW Tiguan. In the news, Peugeot isn't coming to the U.S. after all, Harley-Davidson has a CPO program, Jeep teased some Easter Safari concepts and Kia's got a big fire problem. Finally, they help a listener choose a replacement for a Nissan 350Z in the "Spend My Money" segment. Autoblog Podcast #669 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars We're Driving 2021 BMW M850i xDrive Convertible 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan News Peugeot's U.S. return officially canned as Stellantis doubles down on Alfa Romeo Harley-Davidson launches CPO program to entice younger buyers Jeep teases 'Magneto' and other concepts for Easter Jeep Safari Kia tells 380,000 more owners to park their cars outside due to fire risk Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related Video: Green Podcasts BMW Jeep Kia Peugeot Convertible Coupe Crossover Motorcycle SUV Concept Cars Electric Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Performance

Next-gen Kia Optima previewed for New York Auto Show

To say the Optima is a vital product for Kia would be an understatement. In fact, the Korean automaker reports that the sedan has been its best-selling model in America for three years running. Replacing it with an all-new model, then, would be a big move for Kia, and that's exactly what it's gearing up to do. The all-new Optima is previewed here in a pair of teaser renderings, and the car is set to debut at the New York Auto Show. Though Kia has given us little in the way of information to accompany the drawings, it's clear that the design has borrowed heavily from the Sportspace concept that debuted in Geneva earlier this month – albeit in production form, and with a trunk instead of an extended roofline. The outgoing Optima was introduced five years ago and is built at plants around the world for local consumption, including in Georgia for the North American market. This will be the fourth iteration of the breed. KIA TO UNVEIL ALL-NEW OPTIMA AT NEW YORK AUTO SHOW Following its 2010 debut at the New York International Auto Show, the Optima became a catalyst for Kia Motors' tremendous growth and has been the brand's best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for three years running. Now, five years later, Kia will return to New York on Wednesday, April 1, for the world debut of the passionately designed and obsessively crafted all-new version of its popular midsize sedan. Related Video:

Kia slices K900 pricing amidst slow sales

Kia is learning the same hard lesson that Volkswagen learned so many years ago – it's not easy for a volume brand to sell a luxury car. The K900 luxury sedan has suffered through slow sales, moving just over 1,300 vehicles last year, and now the South Korean company is trimming the cost of entry to entice consumers. A new K900 Premium lowers the sedan's price by $5,000, from $59,500 to $54,500, not including a $900 destination charge, Motor Authority reports. While the price is lower, previously standard items, such as LED headlights, Nappa leather and a 17-speaker Lexicon stereo have been packaged as part of a new Luxury trim, which will maintain the original starting price. The two-tier scheme will force consumers to make a new decision about their K900, but that won't extend to the brute under the hood. A 5.0-liter V8 remains a standard item, making even the K900 Premium a tempting option for anyone that values straight-line thrust in a comfortable package. What are your thoughts? Is Kia merely rearranging the deck chairs on a sedan-shaped Titanic, or do you think trimming the price will do some good for the slow-selling K900? The new price is already reflected on Kia's consumer website, so head over, mess about and then come back and have your say about the move in Comments.