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Next Kia Sedona minivan spied

After skipping the 2013 model year and returning for 2014, the Kia Sedona is getting a full redesign for 2015, which we see for the first time in these new spy shots. The new Sedona isn't going to look as much like the 2011 KV7 Concept as we had hoped, but we definitely see some key styling cues from the Kia concept minivan.
Even though it's covered in heavy camouflage, we can see that some of the KV7's cues on the 2015 Sedona include the vertical front marker lights, the horizontal taillights and the pinched beltline starting at the C-pillar. Kia's trademark Tiger Nose grille is present and accounted for, as is the telltale dip in the windshield.
All in all, the next-gen Sedona already looks to be a significant improvement over the current, generally boring model, which dates back to 2006 and has a striking resemblance to the Ford Freestar. There is no word yet as to what will power the 2015 Sedona, but our spy shooter said that this prototype was most likely powered by a 2.2-liter diesel.

Kia wants 11 green cars by 2020

Kia will invest $10.2 billion in an effort to become a more environmentally friendly automaker over the next five years, and the recently teased Niro hybrid crossover will be just the tip of the iceberg. The Korean automaker wants to more than double its green car lineup by 2020 to 11 models from the current four with plans for new hybrids, PHEVS, EVs, and even a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. This green rollout will start with an Optima PHEV (the 2014 hybrid variant is shown above) with a lithium-polymer battery and will continue with the Niro CUV. Spy shots also suggest both Hyundai and Kia have other dedicated hybrids under development, and rumors hint at their arrival in showrooms in 2017. "Global market demand is shifting to electric vehicles, with oil prices predicted to rise in future," Ki-Sang Lee, the senior vice president at Kia's Eco Friendly Vehicle R&D Center, said in the investment's announcement. Kia is already familiar with fuel-cell tech thanks to public testing in 2009, but the automaker really wants to push development with a mass-produced model in 2020. The new FCEV would use a 15- percent lighter and five-percent more efficient stack versus current units, and the setup would offer an estimated range of over 497 miles. The company hopes to build 1,000 of these vehicles annually at first. The automaker's green plan will also aim to boost the brand's average fuel economy by 25 percent from 2014 levels. To make that happen, Kia will replace seven of its 10 engine families and will cut the weight of future vehicles by five percent. The next-gen models will use more efficient transmissions too. KIA MAPS OUT FIVE-YEAR AMBITION FOR GREEN CAR LEADERSHIP Green car line-up expected to grow from four to 11 models by 2020 Kia targeting hydrogen fuel cell vehicle production within five years Kia aiming to improve average fuel efficiency by 25% over 2014 levels Roadmap for low emission cars includes clean combustion, hybrid- and pure- electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cells 70% of current engine range set to be replaced by more efficient units Kia Motors today announced its mid- to long-term plans for the development of a greatly increased range of environmentally friendly vehicles. The brand's 'green car roadmap' sets out Kia's ambition to become a leader in the low emissions car market by 2020.

Foreign automakers pay from $38 to $65 per hour to non-union workers

As leaders for the United Auto Workers gather in Detroit for their Special Convention on Collective Bargaining to work out the negotiating stance for this year's new labor agreements with the Detroit 3 automakers, what they most want to do is figure out how to eliminate the two-tier wage scale. However, the lower Tier 2 wage has allowed the domestic automakers to reduce their labor costs, hire more workers, and compete better with their import competition. As it stands, per-hour labor rates including benefits are $58 at General Motors, $57 at Ford, and $48 at Fiat-Chrysler – a reflection of FCA's much greater number of Tier 2 workers. The Center for Automotive Research released a study of labor rates (including benefits) that put numbers to what the imports pay: Mercedes-Benz pays the most, at an average of $65 per hour, Volkswagen pays the least, at $38 per hour, and BMW is just a hair above that at $39 per hour. Among the Detroit competitors, Honda workers earn an average of $49 per hour, at Toyota it's $48 per hour, Nissan is $42 per hour, and Hyundai-Kia pays $41 per hour. The lower import wages are aided by their greater use of temporary workers compared to the domestics. Automotive News says the ten-dollar gap between those foreign camakers and the domestics turns out to about an extra $250 per car in labor, which adds up quickly when you're pumping out many millions of cars. That $250-per-car number is one that, come negotiating time, the Detroit 3 will want to reduce, as the UAW is trying to raise both Tier 1 and Tier 2 wages. Another wrinkle is that the domestic carmakers are considering the wide adoption of a third wage level lower than Tier 2. Some workers who do minor tasks like assembling parts trays kits and battery packs already make less than Tier 2, but the UAW will be quite wary about cementing yet another wage scale at the bottom of the system while it's trying to fight a bigger battle at the top. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req., BloombergImage Credit: AP Photo/Erik Schelzig Earnings/Financials UAW/Unions BMW Chevrolet Fiat Ford GM Honda Hyundai Kia Mercedes-Benz Nissan Toyota Volkswagen labor wages collective bargaining labor costs