2015 Kia Sorento Ex on 2040-cars

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What a strike in Korea could mean for US Hyundai and Kia buyers

A prolonged factory strike at Hyundai-Kia factories in South Korea could mean that US dealership inventory of certain vehicles, such as the South Korea-built Hyundai Accent and Kia Soul, could dry up in the coming months, depending on the length of the strike, reports Cars.com's blog, Kicking Tires. The two brands together rank sixth in US sales and fifth in global sales.
Kicking Tires gives fascinating insight into how a production stoppage in South Korea might affect vehicle sales in the US, considering Hyundai-Kia has two factories in the US that build the Kia Sorento and Optima/Optima Hybrid, and the Hyundai Elantra sedan/coupe/GT, Sonata/Sonata Hybrid and Santa Fe/Santa Fe Sport. The only one of these vehicles that's built solely in the US is the Kia Sorento, with the rest of them sharing production with South Korea.
Be sure to read the piece, especially if you're in the market for a Hyundai or Kia, or just interested in global economics.

Is Kia working on a sporty convertible?

It's been a number of years since we last heard rumors about a drop-top Kia, but as the South Korean automaker continues to grow into new segments, why not stir things up again? Fan site Kia-world.net got its hands on what is claimed to be an exclusive drawing (click to enlarge) of the Kia Pro_cee'd GT Cabrio.
This rendering looks exactly like what we'd picture a topless version of the three-door hatchback to look like, but until there's any official information, we'll keep this filed under "we'll believe it when we see it." The idea of a Kia convertible sounds good to us, especially if it looks like this, but we're still waiting for the sporty model that lead designer Peter Schreyer said could happen "sooner or later" back in 2010.

2016 Kia Cee'd GT Line brings new 1.0-liter engine to Geneva

The Kia Sportspace Concept might exhibit the future of the Korean brand's styling, but the Cee'd GT Line at the Geneva Motor Show is the first glimpse at two of the company's powertrain innovations – at least for the European market. The GT Line is meant as a compromise between the sporty Cee'd GT and the regular model. By taking this path, buyers get slightly angrier styling on the outside but more efficient engines under the hood. Offered in the three-door, five-door and wagon bodies, these models get LED running lights up front, lower side sills, an updated rear bumper, a revised exhaust design and 17-inch wheels. However, what really makes the GT Line something special is this is the first opportunity for European buyers to get Kia's new 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine and separately its seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The tiny mill with stop/start makes 118 horsepower and 127 pound-feet of torque in the Cee'd and is only available with a six-speed manual. Conversely, customers that want the new gearbox need to order the upgraded 1.6-liter diesel four-cylinder with 131 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque. All versions of this slightly warmer hatch go on sale in the fourth quarter across the pond. SPORTY KIA CEE'D GT LINE LAUNCHED WITH NEW ENGINE AND DUAL-CLUTCH TRANSMISSION GT Line model blends the looks of sporty cee'd GT and versatility of the conventional cee'd , inside and out Debut for Kia's all-new three-cylinder 1.0-litre T-GDi engine More power and torque and fewer emissions form new seven-speed DCT Kia cee'd GT Line available across Europe in Q4 2015 Kia Motors Europe will unveil a new Kia cee'd 'GT Line' specification at the 85th Salon International de l'Automobile in Geneva on 3 March 2015. In addition to a range of visual upgrades, the new cee'd GT Line signifies the arrival of Kia's all-new downsized 1.0-litre T-GDi (turbo gasoline direct injection) engine and new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission in Europe. The look of the GT, the versatility of a conventional cee'd The new GT Line offers buyers the sporty looks of the high performance Kia cee'd GT and pro_cee'd GT and the versatility of the conventional cee'd model family. The GT Line specification is available on all three cee'd body types – five-door cee'd, three-door pro_cee'd and cee'd Sportswagon.